


A Little Bit of Trust

by CreatorOfUniverses, PL1



Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 07:00:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 55
Words: 137,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28702560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CreatorOfUniverses/pseuds/CreatorOfUniverses, https://archiveofourown.org/users/PL1/pseuds/PL1
Summary: When Adrian moves into his new apartment, he doesn't expect anything out of the ordinary except for maybe a few mice in the walls; but when he catches something in the mouse trap he puts down, it's definitely not a mouse. Charlie is a viri, a person only a little more than five inches tall, and after he breaks his leg from falling in the mouse trap Adrian set, he has no choice but to stick with the human. With Charlie's health taking a turn for the worse, another human must get involved, and a viri friend of Charlie's winds up wrapped up in the mess as well. But none of this is quite so problematic as a vetrinary student with more knowledge than she lets on...
Kudos: 4
Collections: The Trust Multiverse





	1. Chapter 1

Most of the furniture already sat where it should in the apartment, but boxes still stacked up and cluttered the space. Adrian set the last box on the couch with a huff, his pale blue eyes scanning the main room. Where to start? Moving was exciting, but unpacking... not so much. So far the only indication that the place was his was the fresh college diploma on the wall.

Adrian's gaze stopped on the shopping bag on the counter, a small box visible through the plastic. With a sigh, he took the box from the bag and glanced over the packaging. At least his mother had bought humane mouse traps... Adrian couldn't really stomach dead things, even dead rodents. But she had insisted he check for mice. He decided to set one in the cabinet under the kitchen sink for now, and went to his bedroom to put his clothes away.

It had not been a good day for Charlie.

It hadn't even been a good week. Not only had the human tenants of his house decided to move to Alaska, of all places, but another tenant hadn't rented the place until a week later. Charlie hated the idea of getting used to a new human resident, but after a week without a steady source of food it had almost been a relief to see the new one move in. From the few glimpses he had seen so far the new human seemed to be alright, though it was so hard to tell. At the very least he would have food with him. Charlie had been subsiding off of what little he had saved, which wasn't much. Unfortunately the human didn't seem to be in any hurry to unpack, though if Charlie were honest with himself it would be safest to do his scavenging at night anyways.

At the moment he still needed water though, and the container in his own rooms being empty he headed for the drip under the sink. (The last humans had kept trying to fix it, but he kept boring a new hole in it. It was just too convenient to not have.) His thoughts were busy with ideas about the new human and if he would notice, so Charlie didn't realize what was wrong until too late. 

He tripped on the edge of something that wasn't usually there, falling forward onto a hard, metallic surface. Before he could get up, or even figure out where he was, something large and heavy came down with a rush of air. It crashed onto his leg, pinning it to the floor and making him scream in pain. The sound was loud, too loud, but the only thing in his mind was the searing agony in his leg. 

Adrian had about half of his clothes tucked neatly in the drawer. He had insisted nobody help him pack or unpack his things- by all accounts, Adrian was extremely meticulous and it tended to show in how he arranged his appearance (and the appearance of his home). So he always liked to keep track of where everything was. He just closed the top drawer when he heard the faint noise of something toppling over. He immediately had to go check.

Once he was back in the front room and could hear better, Adrian noticed the faint sound of agonized screams coming from under the sink. His already-fair skin paled and his eyes widened. _Oh God... it's a mouse and it's dying oh my God_ , his panicked mind worried over and over. He opened the cabinet and quickly looked to the trap. It looked like something had indeed gotten trapped, but not all the way. The lid over the spring-loaded device was clamped down on... well, something. Adrian couldn't tell in the dim lighting under the sink. But whatever the creature was, it was clearly in agony.

Adrian, scared though he was to touch whatever it was that lived under his sink, couldn't bear to hear that noise much longer. So, with a grimace, he delicately reached out to press the release on the side of the device, meant to be used to set captive mice free outside. When the lid sprang back, so did Adrian, bumping his head in the process. He rubbed both hands over the newly forming lump on the back of his head, staring in shock at what the trap revealed to him. Did concussions work that quickly? No, he'd seen it before hitting his head... Adrian stared dumbly at what looked like a living doll lying under his sink. 

The weight on his leg was released and Charlie drew it in with a whimper, curling into himself with tears leaking out of his eyes. The pain was not so sharp now, but still left room for nothing else, not even thought about what had happened. It wasn't until there was a loud thump above him that he opened his eyes, only to have them widen in horror. A human was crouched over him, rubbing its head and looking at him with shock.

He had been seen. He had been _seen_.

Without concern for anything else, Charlie scrambled up in terror, his only coherent thought to escape back into the wall before the human caught him. But he wasn't even able to take a step before his leg gave out on him completely, toppling him to the ground yet again. He crawled desperately towards the wall, his useless leg dragging behind him.

Adrian sucked in a breath when the little person-creature tried to stand up. He knew well enough by looking that the leg was broken. So it was no surprise to him when it fell over immediately. Poor little guy... this was exactly why Adrian didn't want a kill trap. Not that this was turning out much better for anyone. He watched it try to crawl away slowly, and noticed the hole in the back of the cabinet.

With a start, Adrian removed his hands from his bruise and placed them like a barricade in front of the small creature. Leaning so far into the cabinet at this point, he certainly felt like he was blotting out all of the light. His hands tense with nerves, Adrian wondered what he would do next, and he wondered whether he'd be able to handle the little creature carefully enough if it came to it. All he knew for certain was that if it disappeared into the wall with that kind of injury, it would surely die.

"I-I'm sorry, for uh, the trap. I thought it was supposed to be pain free, really," he finally managed to speak, in a quavery, timid voice. For some reason Adrian really wanted it to be known that he didn't actively seek to cause trouble, even for small things living in his walls.

The hands crashed down in front of Charlie, effectively stopping him from going any further. He slumped to the hard floor, exhausted from pain and terror. Then the human spoke, the words filtering slowly into his pain addled mind. Trap... of course, it had been a mousetrap. There hadn't been mice in the building for years, Charlie had seen to that, but of course the new human wouldn't know. Speaking of whom, he seemed nervous. What for Charlie could hardly imagine, him being a behemoth with a perfectly good leg and therefore quite the opposite of Charlie. Still, for some reason Charlie took a bit of comfort in the words- at least the human had apologized, something he certainly hadn't expected. 

Adrian took several more seconds to let the sharp pain in his head subside to a dull ache. Conveniently, the time also helped him to convince himself that he was not hallucinating. There was in fact a tiny, human-shaped creature trapped by his hands. His heart jumped when it lay down, giving up. _Is it dead? Did I kill it? Oh God, it's dead..._ He glanced around the sparse cabinet, wondering what to do. He couldn't tell if it was still breathing or not. He noticed, in the corner, a small dustpan, the kind used for hand brooms.

Adrian snatched up the dustpan. He had to get the little person out of the cabinet to get a better look. Curiosity was starting to override his nerves. Plus, this way he wouldn't have to worry about mishandling it and causing more damage. He set the pan next to the little thing and, as gently as he could, nudged it onto the pan. As if he was handling glass, Adrian drew the pan out of the dark cabinet. He sighed with relief to see that it was still breathing. He was struck with another wave of awe to realize that he was staring at a person that fit on a dustpan.

Charlie offered no resistance as the human nudged him onto something flat and smooth; he was in too much pain to do anything but whimper slightly as the movement jarred his leg. Inside though his heart was racing, his mind going a mile a minute as he fully realized his predicament. Not only had he been seen, he had been caught, and couldn't do anything about it thanks to his leg. It was like one of his worst nightmares come to life.

The surface beneath him rose suddenly, sending his heart leaping to his throat. He closed his eyes tightly, as if everything would go away if he just couldn't see it. He didn't want to be here, not up so high, not captured by a human, not with what was surely a broken leg. All he wanted was to go home to his cozy rooms in the walls and have everything be alright again. Tears started flowing again at these thoughts, and he didn't bother to wipe them away. What was the point any more? His life as he knew it was over.

Adrian could do nothing but stare for a few more seconds. A tiny person, living and breathing, had been living in the walls of his new apartment, and who knew how long? He marveled at the faint movement of its chest as it breathed. Then, Adrian squinted and noticed the eyes shut tight, leaking tears. So the poor little guy was awake. Suddenly he felt sheepish for staring, even though he knew his curiosity was natural. He stood and placed the pan on the counter, as softly as he could. Adrian looked at the injured leg and winced to notice its shape.

 _It's broken. I broke his leg. What do I do?!_ his mind screamed in panic. Adrian tried to remember what should be done about a broken leg. He was no doctor. He imagined taking the little guy to a doctor... And shuddered to imagine the reaction. They would probably take the little person away. No, he would have to help on his own. 

"You need... um... a splint. Yeah." And some aspirin probably, he realized. With one last long glance at the tiny person lying on his counter, Adrian went to find his box with the first aid kit, which should have been stacked somewhere in the living room.

The surface Charlie was on was set down again, the jolt carrying up through his leg and making him wince. He stayed still as the human said something about a splint. Charlie didn't understand; was the man honestly going to try and help him? From what he had always been told humans weren't to be trusted, especially when the well being of those smaller than them was concerned. On the other hand, it wasn't as if Charlie could stop the human from doing anything at all, so it was rather a moot point.

The human left the room and Charlie dared to open his eyes. He couldn't see very much lying down as he was, but it was enough to realize that he was up on the kitchen counter. Biting into his lip to keep from screaming at the pain he struggled into a seated position, his leg bent awkwardly in front of him. It looked all... _wrong_ , and he quickly averted his gaze. Trying to think clearly he took a look around. The first thing he noticed was that he seemed to be sitting in a dustpan, of all things. More importantly, he could see one of his usual escape routes just a foot away. If he could just make it there...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Per a reader's request, we've decided to crosspost the main Trust stories here on AO3, rather than simply posting them on deviantArt. You can still find all the Trust stories, as well as the Reader's Guide, over on dA. I'm going to transfer all the original descriptions to these chapters as well, for posterity's sake. Happy reading!)
> 
> The first part of an RP with @PL1, who is an incredible writer and so much fun to RP with! We're definitely enjoying writing this together, and we hope you'll enjoy reading it just as much. ^^


	2. Chapter 2

The human's footsteps returned and Charlie’s heart plummeted. Who was he kidding, he could hardly stand up with his leg like this, much less make it back to the safety of the walls. His life was now quite undeniably in the hands of the human; a despairing thought to be sure. Feeling more vulnerable and terrified than ever before, Charlie stared up with wide eyes at the man coming back into the kitchen.

After a very short search (Adrian was very organized), he had retrieved his first aid kit. He stared pensively at the Red Cross emblem on the lid, hoping it contained what he needed. As he returned to the kitchen, Adrian raised his eyebrows to notice that the person had moved. More precisely, that he now sat up instead of lying prone. Adrian approached the counter, almost timidly, and set the first aid kit down next to the little person. He noticed that the little guy looked utterly terrified. Adrian pursed his lips and thought about how to proceed, absently wringing his hands.

"O-okay, so, you're badly hurt. But you obviously already knew that. I'm just not a medical expert is all, so I dunno how much help I can be, but I know for sure that you need a splint on your leg or it could get worse. I know you're hurting pretty bad right now but I swear I didn't do it on purpose, my mom insisted I check for mice here before I got settled, and even then I made her get the humane traps, and wow, look how that backfired." Adrian noticed that he was rambling, but couldn't stop himself just yet. "I think I have the stuff we'd need to wrap up your leg until we can find out how to set it, but please please please don't just go taking off after we do. I'd feel really bad if you wandered off and got stuck somewhere because you sure can't walk on that." Adrian stopped himself, finally, and looked a little embarrassed. 

He opened the first aid kit, searching through it for what he would need. Medical tape, check; a small bottle of pain pills, check; a tongue depressor he could break to make a splint, check; cotton, check. "I-I'll help any way I can, but I don't think I can tie it in place without making things worse. I hope you don't mind doing that yourself. Also, do you want some pain meds? I'd have to crush up one of these pills so you don't overdose or something, but it could help take the edge off."  _ God, Adrian, just shut up already, _ he thought to himself. 

Charlie tried to keep looking up as the human came back in, he really did, but his bravery gave out and he ducked his head at the last minute. The human set a large box nearby and started rummaging through it, rambling aloud. Still, the more he listened the more Charlie could hardly believe his ears. The human actually intended to help him; with a condition of course, to not run. As if he could, even with a splint.

A splint he would be wrapping himself... Charlie was hardly a medical expert either, but he was fairly sure that he could tie up his leg well enough for the moment. Setting it, however, was a different matter entirely; one he had absolutely no ideas about, nor wanted to dwell on. Once the human gave him the supplies he would do the best he could, but part of him was afraid that it may be too little too late. What if he was crippled for life?

With a small shake of the head he forced himself away from such thoughts- if he still had his life at the end of this then he could worry about it. Instead he focused on the problem at hand. The human had asked if he wanted painkillers. Of course he did, stopping the agonizing pain searing through his leg was the only thing on his mind, but he was still torn about what he should do. If he answered, the human would know he could talk, and that would only expose him further... but if he stayed quiet, he might have to deal with the pain himself. Neither seemed a particularly appealing option.

Eventually he opted for silence. The pain was horrible, but he had already broken the Code enough. He wasn't about to dig himself any deeper by talking to a human.

Adrian waited a few seconds, hoping he would hear from the little guy. When no response came, he sighed faintly. "Uh, right, okay. I'll keep it out in case you change your mind." With that said, Adrian picked up the tongue depressor. On its own, it was far too large. Adrian made a good guess and snapped the wood in two. One piece was slightly longer, but things looked about right.

"O-okay, with these, I think there's supposed to be one on either side of the broken bone." He gingerly placed the pieces right next to the little person and within easy reach. But he quickly pulled his hand away and began working on preparing strips of medical tape to tie them. "I didn't break it right. But that's okay... just put the bigger half on the outside of your leg." He set some strips of tape with the splint pieces. "Um, be careful, you just want to immobilize it." He wondered if he'd have to help the little person steady his leg. "Did you want me to help with this?" Adrian looked at the smaller being's face, nervous about whether he'd be able to do anything helpful.

Charlie listened carefully as the human explained the supplies, gazing warily at the hands that came a bit too close for comfort. Preparing the splint on his own was going to be difficult, and not to mention painful, but by no means impossible. When the human asked if he could help, Charlie's heart nearly stopped. The thought of those huge fingers coming anywhere close to his injured leg made his skin crawl, and he shook his head emphatically.

Trying (and failing) to ignore the looming presence above him, Charlie set to work. Wincing as the movement sent fire up his leg, he propped the two large wooden boards on either side. Then, as gently as he could, he lifted up his leg just enough to wrap one of the large pieces of tape around the entire thing. He wrapped it tightly, but not so tight that it cut off circulation, and he worked his way down his leg like that. After a few tense, painful minutes he had about six wide bands of tape wrapped around his leg, keeping the wooden braces tightly in place and effectively immobilizing the broken appendage.

Adrian watched over the small being as it carefully wrapped up its own leg. He felt his own hands twitching during the process, unable to do anything. He kept seeing the fear in those tiny eyes when the smaller person had shaken its head, unable to shake it. In all his life, no one had ever looked at him with such terror. Adrian was a mild person even in anger, and to cause such fear was entirely new to him. He wasn't fully sure how he would deal with it in the long run.

When the splint was finally complete, he nodded, taking a shaky breath. "That looks... that looks good. At least it should keep it from getting worse for now." He ran a hand through his dirty blond hair, his eyes wandering back to the bottle of pain pills. "I know you didn't mention anything before, but I think these would be a good idea for you right now," he explained, shakily picking up the bottle and removing the lid. He fished out one pill. It wasn't even the size of his small fingernail, but one glance back at the little person told him it would be beyond an overdose.

"Just- just a second." He left the pill on the counter and went to the cupboard. The only thing there, for now, was a box of plastic spoons. "I'm gonna have to crush that up, I mean obviously you can't take the whole thing even if it was a good idea, but it's probably going to taste nasty. Just take a pinch, I'll get you some water and... uh, maybe some fruit? I think I have some canned fruit, but that's about it right now, would you be okay with that?" He was still standing back a bit from the counter now, hoping against hope that the response, whatever it was, wasn't as full of terror.

A sigh of relief escaped from Charlie as the human talked about crushing up a pain pill. It was sorely needed; while the splint had lent support and taken the sharpest edge off, there was still a deep, throbbing pain all throughout his leg. Then the human mentioned the fruit and paused, obviously waiting for a response. While he had been much less monstrous than Charlie had first feared, the smaller person still didn't want to talk. Instead he nodded slowly, avoiding eye contact with the staring human.

Maybe once the pain faded he would be able to think straight again. Ever since he tripped into that trap nothing had made sense like it should. The whole situation seemed to be made of contradictions- the human had captured him but was now helping him, was terrifying and powerful and yet seemed to be nervous. Charlie's head was spinning trying to reason it all out.

Adrian thought that if he hadn't been paying close attention, he might have missed the little fellow's nod. A small wave of relief came over him- at least he understood English, even if he couldn't speak it. So his ramblings hadn't fallen on deaf ears. He was also glad that he'd gotten a response this time that seemed a little less afraid.

In short order, he retrieved a box from the living room, setting it on the counter across the sink from the little person. He decided on a can of diced peaches, using the spoon to cut off a reasonably sized portion. He placed that together next to a pinch of crushed pill and a bottle cap of water on a Tupperware lid- all of his plates were still wrapped and packed in a box. He placed the lid next to the dustpan on the counter.

"Remember, only a pinch or two of that medicine should be okay. Any more might make you loopy or sick. Sorry about the set up, I don't have any dishes unpacked. Let me know if you need more food, I have this whole can here after all." Adrian kept a keen eye on the little person, a new wave of curiosity hitting. He wondered if he would accept the offering laid before him.

Charlie watched with curiosity as the human set up everything on a plastic lid of some sort, eventually setting it next to the dustpan in which he was sitting. He eyed the pile of crushed painkillers warily. Never before had he taken any sort of pill- humans usually noticed when those went missing, and the risk of overdose was far greater when there was no way to measure out the substance. Still, desperate times called for desperate measures; and he was certainly desperate. 

With shaking hands he reached over and took a pinch of the medicine between his fingers, dropping it in his mouth and swallowing quickly. The human was right, it tasted horrid, and making a face he quickly reached for the water. Holding the cup in two hands he took a large swig, and another, until the medicine was all washed down.

Setting down the water again he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, eyeing the large piece of peach sitting next to it. He didn't particularly want to eat it; he'd have to eat with his hands, which besides being messy would seem like a rather uncouth thing to do, especially in front of a human who probably already saw him as little more than an animal. A week's worth of hunger won out, however, and picking it up as delicately as he could he bit into it. 

The sweet flavor flooded his tongue, and despite the piece being about the size of his head he managed to polish off more than half of it very quickly. Setting down the rest he wiped his hands on his pant leg, attempting with little success to remove the sticky juice.

When the little guy made a disgusted face upon tasting the medicine, Adrian marveled at the tiny details on his expressive face. He truly was a fascinating... whatever he was. Adrian noticed the hesitation before the small fellow began to eat, and looked away, avoiding awkwardly staring. He busied himself clearing the counter, brushing the leftover pill dust into the sink and putting the near-full can of peaches into the otherwise empty fridge. His mother would surely have a complaint about that if she saw it.

Adrian put some of the other contents of the box away, trying to give the little person some space to eat without someone hovering over him. But he glanced over in time to see him trying to clean his hands, and Adrian immediately left to find a napkin. He returned, looking embarrassed again, and held out a torn off corner of a napkin. "God, I'm sorry. That was rude of me, I didn't even... I'm sorry. I just keep messing this up." He set the napkin next to the cap of water and rubbed his eyes. "Really, I'm sorry, it's been a long day I guess, and I keep taking things for granted, and I've never dealt with anyone breaking a bone before, so I don't know what to do."

Charlie looked up at the human in surprise. He was apologizing again? Though he had done nothing but help Charlie even when the smaller person had expected the very worst of him? It was making Charlie so confused. The human, contrary to all he had been taught, had done nothing but help him and be nice to him after the trap had sprung. He had even given Charlie some privacy to eat and a napkin afterwards, and now he was apologizing?

Charlie opened his mouth slightly to speak, but closed it again. No matter how nice the human was, or how mistaken Charlie may have been about his intentions, the fact remained that he was still human; and that meant no talking. After all, Charlie hadn't just put himself in danger by being seen, but his whole species. Still, he couldn't just leave the human beating himself up about nothing. So, as he dipped a corner of the napkin in the bottle cap of water and began wiping off his hands, Charlie chanced a small smile up at the human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next part! Sorry if the ending of this chapter seems a bit sudden, it's difficult to divide up one long RP into reasonable parts. :P Hope you like it!


	3. Chapter 3

Adrian blinked to see the shy smile forming on the tiny person's lips. He felt a smile of his own ghosting across his face in response. He had finally made some progress, it seemed, to lessen the fear. He guessed that obviously some fear remained, keeping the little fellow tongue-tied. But he didn't look at him like he'd do something cruel anymore. This put Adrian at ease.

"So, I don't want to be rude or anything, but have you always been this, um, compact? I mean, I haven't heard of anyone becoming smaller, but I haven't heard of anyone starting out small to begin with." Adrian tried to imagine suddenly becoming small versus growing up that way, and couldn't decide which would be more plausible. "That’s probably a dumb question. I should ask if there's anyone or anything you know of that can help set your broken leg. Even if I was a doctor there's no way I could be of much help in that department, obviously."

Charlie sighed. How was this human expecting him to answer all these questions when he didn't talk? Of course, the human probably suspected he could talk and just didn't want to; in fact, the questions were probably meant to draw a verbal answer from him. Well, they wouldn't. He knew his responsibilities and he was sticking to them.

The question remained, however, so he had to get creative. He decided that the second one was the only one that really needed answering- and as there were no others of his kind in the building, and much less any way to contact those few outside of it that he did know, the answer was a definite no. To show this he pointed to his leg and shook his head clearly, hoping that the human would get the gist of his response.

Adrian frowned faintly. He took the pantomimed gestures to mean that no other little people were around that could help. The little guy was alone with a broken leg. Well, not completely. He had Adrian, though that couldn't be much consolation. Adrian took a long moment to consider his next words. "Okay. I am not a doctor, and I wouldn't just take you to one because they probably can't do much either. B-but I do know someone who could definitely help, and I trust him." Adrian wrung his hands nervously, knowing that even mentioning this could set back all of their progress. "If you want, I can call him here to have a look at you. But only if you think you n-need to have the bone set. It might heal on its own. I have no idea. That's just an option. I understand if you don't want me to tell anybody." Adrian withheld one thought, though; if the little guy's condition worsened, he would have to get him better help somehow.

At the mention of another human being Charlie shook his head desperately. Having one human know about him was bad enough; two would not only be terrifying, but blatantly contrary to the Code he was brought up by. No, no matter how bad of shape his leg seemed to be in (and granted it did seem pretty bad) he would deal with it himself, even without this human if he could find a way. 

After obviously giving his answer Charlie looked up hesitantly at the human. He had said that it was okay if Charlie didn't want to see anybody else, but Charlie still found it hard to trust a human being. The knowledge that the human had the power to do what he wanted regardless of the decisions Charlie made lurked constantly in the back of his mind.

Adrian nodded, accepting the little fellow's silent but emphatic answer. "Okay, I'm not really surprised by that." He tried a weak smile. He wanted to try to keep the little guy at ease as much as possible. Even though he'd probably have a thousand questions come up in the next several hours, he resolved to try to keep them to himself. Obviously this little guy didn't plan on opening up very much.

"A-anyway, it looks like you uh, live in the walls around here, if I've guessed right. And, um, it seems like it might be hard to get around in the walls right now. So, uh, if you need something from me, you can, you know, just tell me. Or, I guess, point to it. You don't have to say it out loud." He chuckled faintly. "I am kinda clueless about some things, but that at least I could eventually figure out." Something occurred to him then. "B-by the way, I'm Adrian. I guess technically we're neighbors now." Adrian thought for a moment how absurd the whole thing was. The first 'neighbor' he met was a tiny person who didn't live next door, but in the very walls.

Charlie's heart leapt nervously as the human mentioned him living in the walls; that was a secret he had hoped the human wouldn't figure out, as it wasn't just Charlie's secret but that of almost everyone of his kind. On the other hand it was a bit relieving to see that the human (Adrian, he now knew) seemed to be accepting of his silence. Still, it would be helpful for Adrian to know his name as well... Charlie would just have to get creative.

Looking around, his eyes landed on the small pile (to Adrian no more than a pinch) of pill dust that remained next to the bottle cap of water. Spreading it out into a fine layer of white powder, he took a finger and wrote out his name in it. Somewhat proud of his handiwork, he wiped his hands on the napkin with a small smile. Hopefully it was big enough for a human to read.

At first, Adrian thought that the little guy was trying to get more medication, and worried that his pain had flared up. His panic was short lived, though, when he saw the real plan. Adrian was filled with some awe to see his small neighbor actually writing. He had truly stumbled upon an intelligent tiny person... He was admittedly very curious about how many more existed in the world. But that would be a question for another day.

When the name was written out, Adrian did have a hard time seeing it. He waited until the little person wasn't leaning over it, and then slid the surface toward himself so he could lean in for a better view. He smiled when he made out the name written in the dust. "It's nice to meet you, Charlie." He was very grateful to have a name to call him by.

He almost said more, but an electronic chiming noise from his back pocket made him jump. He hurriedly took the phone from his pocket and saw that he had a text from his mother. He typed out a quick response and put the phone away. "Sorry. That was Mom. Wanting to know if I'm getting settled in and stuff." He paused, glancing back through the door to the living room, where his many boxes still waited. "At least she's not super nosy, she likes to give me my space. So it doesn't look like you'll have to deal with her if you don't want to."

The loud sound from the cell phone made Charlie jump, though he breathed a sigh of relief when it was made clear that nobody was going to drop in unannounced anytime soon. He didn't think his nerves could take a surprise like that. A yawn came suddenly and he covered his mouth with a hand, his eyes blinking tiredly. The stress and pain had exhausted him completely, and though the last thing he wanted to do was let his guard down so completely with a human nearby, his body was arguing otherwise. 

The medicine was also beginning to kick in, which meant the pain in his leg, while still present, was at a more bearable level. Being careful not to bump it he tucked in his other leg, rubbing his eyes to try and wake himself up a bit more. It didn't help- his battered body was demanding rest so it could heal, and sooner or later it was going to win.

Adrian watched with careful concern as Charlie shifted his legs, hoping he wouldn't jar the broken one. Luckily, it seemed like the splint held fast. Perhaps he would heal on his own after all. This thought was encouraging. He held back a smile as Charlie yawned and rubbed his eyes. It was, well, kind of cute on such a small scale.

"Well, hey, I guess you'll need to rest after all this excitement," he began. "And I have to finish unpacking. So here's what I think could happen... I can set you up in the bedroom for now so my moving stuff doesn't keep you awake." That said, Adrian took the handle of the dustpan gently in one hand and lifted it slowly. He nervously placed his other hand near the edge so Charlie wouldn't roll out, and desperately hoped it wouldn't come to him preventing such a fall.

With fortunately steady movement, Adrian ferried Charlie into the room that only contained his bed, dresser, and some boxes of clothes. He deposited the pan and Charlie on the dresser and quickly went to one of the boxes, retrieving a dish towel that was so new it still had the tag on it. "Um, if you'd like you can sleep on this, it's probably nothing compared to your actual bed, but it's what I have. Is this gonna be okay?" He hesitated to set the fluffy towel down, just in case Charlie had some protests about it.

As the dustpan rose suddenly into the air Charlie bit back a yelp, clutching the edge with white-knuckled fingers. He liked the sensation even less than he had the first time, and tried to keep from looking down. It was a great relief when the pan was finally set down on a dresser, so much so that Charlie hardly noticed when the landing jostled his leg a bit. 

He took a surreptitious look around while the human was rummaging for something in a box. No doubt about it, there was absolutely no way he could possibly get down from the dresser and back into the walls. Not that anything was even possible for him at the moment, but old habits die hard and he couldn't keep from trying to think up escape routes.

Even so, Charlie nodded to say that the towel was fine. He was sure it'd be comfortable enough, especially considering it was probably ten times the size of his normal bed. As tired as he was, he probably could have fallen asleep on the wooden surface of the dresser.

Adrian was relieved to see that Charlie was okay with sleeping on a dishtowel... he felt bad about not having better accommodations, but a temporary fix was tolerable. Besides, it looked like Charlie was ready to just fall over asleep already. An oversized fluffy bed would probably be fine. He set it next to the pan, within easy reach of the injured man. "O-okay, there we go. Wow, that... that actually looks like it could be pretty comfortable. I'm almost jealous." He took a step back, surveying the set up.

"Alright, well, I'll leave you be for a while, then. Rest well, Charlie." That said, Adrian ducked out of the room. He left the door cracked, thinking that if Charlie had to yell for something, it'd be easier to hear. Even so, it felt odd to leave a door open like that; normally Adrian would make doubly sure that it was closed tight. He shook off the feeling and went to the living room, settling into the work of arranging his things. Even as he worked, his mind raced with the whole situation. In an hour or two, he'd be going in to check on a guest who could use a dishtowel as a bed. It was surreal.

The human (Adrian, Charlie reminded himself, the human had a name) walked out of the room, leaving the door cracked only slightly. Charlie watched him go before letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Rubbing his face tiredly he reached for the towel and pulled it over, intending to make his bed on the pan so as to have to move the least. He wouldn’t admit it, even to himself, but he was feeling pretty awful. The pain in his leg throbbed angrily and didn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon, and he had a pounding headache in his forehead as well. His whole body seemed to be shutting down.

The towel, once unfolded even slightly, refused to be folded again with ease, so Charlie settled for making a messy sort of nest out of it and dealing with that. It was about all he could do, especially since he had to arrange it all sitting down. Being careful with his leg, and keeping it straight throughout, Charlie crawled into the makeshift bed and pulled a layer of the fluffy towel over top of himself. It really was quite comfortable, much more than he had expected, and despite his pains and whirling thoughts he fell asleep almost immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moar! @PL1 is such an amazing writer to RP with, I freak out everytime her notes come in. XD Hope you enjoy this as much as I do!


	4. Chapter 4

At first, Adrian was a little distracted from putting away his belongings. His thoughts kept drifting back to his discovery. He wasn't much of a biologist or anything like that, but what little he did know was being turned upside down. Charlie, based on everything he knew, should not exist. And yet, he did. He even completely understood human speech, even though he wouldn't or couldn't say anything himself. It was incredible.

Once he got in the zone, however, arranging things became easy. Adrian, particular as he was about putting everything exactly where it should go, methodically emptied many of his boxes. All of his kitchen things were put away, and his furniture placed in its final positions before an hour ticked by. He then spent the next thirty minutes or so organizing his tall bookshelf and the things on it. Then, he thought, might be a good time to check on Charlie. He needed to at least make sure he was comfortable- or, as comfortable as one can be with a recently broken leg. He went to the bedroom and opened the door a little more to look in, checking to see if his small neighbor still slept.

Any other time the sound of the door and the presence of a human would have had Charlie bolting out of bed, but under the circumstances even instinct had all but disappeared. Charlie was still asleep, but sleeping fitfully. His breaths came quicker than they should in sleep, and he was covered in a cold sweat. Despite the heavy towel lying over top of him he shivered, the spasms wracking his whole body. With a small moan he turned a bit, clutching the makeshift blanket even closer. He was beginning to get feverish and flushed, and his tousled blond hair was sticking to his forehead. Though he was asleep his condition was obviously getting worse.

Adrian immediately knew something was amiss. There's no way Charlie would sleep so deeply when he'd been on such high alert earlier. With soft but rushed steps Adrian went to his side, noting the fast breathing and pale complexion with some anxiety. Tentatively, he reached up and brushed a fingertip on the smaller man's forehead, quickly drawing back. He couldn't be completely positive, but it seemed like Charlie was burning up much quicker than he would have thought. There was no time to dance around the subject; he needed help.

Adrian ran back out to the living room, dialing a number on his cell phone as he went. He released a small breath when his friend answered quickly. "Colfax... yeah, hi, it's been a while, huh?" he began. "Listen, I need a huge favor. I moved into my apartment and my mom made me set mousetraps, but they were supposed to be humane. I caught... uh, something in one, but I broke his leg and now he has a fever. I don't want to just let him die on me. Can you please come and help me treat him?" After receiving a short, bemused answer, Adrian gave Colfax the address and began to pace nervously. What if he didn't arrive on time?

It was less than thirty minutes later when a knock came at the door. Adrian rushed to open it and there stood Colfax, a veterinary sciences student and old friend of his. Colfax stood almost a head taller and his dark eyes and hair contrasted starkly against Adrian's lighter ones. "Hey," he greeted, his face a neutral mask. "Where is he?" Adrian was relieved that Colfax wasn't one to linger on pleasantries for once, and allowed him into the apartment.

"This way," Adrian said as he walked straight back to the bedroom. "Look, I haven't been entirely honest about this, but I guess you would have figured as much, but please don't freak out until after the problem is solved, okay? The creature I caught is... well, unlike anything you'll have seen before." Adrian explained, hesitating at the door. Then, he led his silent but still bemused friend to the dresser. He looked with worry at Charlie, wondering if the little fellow would even register that another person stood over him.

Colfax was, admittedly, a bit surprised to hear from Adrian. But now, his mind was entering the zone of medical professional, and he hardly registered his friend's babbled explanation. And then, he saw it. This little creature that Adrian had caught... well, he defied everything Colfax had been studying for years. Even he, the unflappable Colfax, stared with wide eyes for several seconds.

In the midst of his fevered, dazed state, Charlie became a bit more conscious as he heard voices outside the bedroom door. His addled mind struggled to understand why there would be two different voices, and with some difficulty he opened his bleary eyes. He watched as the door opened and Adrian walked in, another human following close behind him. They both stood over Charlie, staring, and even in his weakened state he felt some of the earlier terror returning. Eyes wide with fear he pulled the blanket up over his head, shaking even worse than he had been before. It was a pointless gesture he knew, but it was all he could do when his entire body felt like it was simultaneously on fire and cold as ice.

He huddled under the towel, trying to figure out what was going on. Why had Adrian brought another human? Charlie had said he didn’t want that, and had trusted Adrian to respect his wishes. How naïve he had been, of course he couldn’t have trusted a human. That was something he had been taught from childhood, and he had known it all along. Still, he couldn’t help but feel betrayed, and before he could help it he was crying. It was too much, the pain and the fever and now another human. He just couldn’t take anymore.

Adrian had, of course, seen terror on Charlie's little face before. But that had been before he had earned some trust. Now, amidst the clear pain and discomfort, Charlie gazed up with renewed fear. Adrian was a little overwhelmed by it all, and weakly backed away, both to give Colfax more room and to avoid looking at the shivering person hiding in the dishtowel. He knew that he was forced by the circumstances to bring in Colfax, and he knew Colfax could be trusted, but still felt awful for it all the same.

Colfax, however, wasn't fazed by the little creature's fear. His training kicked in and he adopted his neutral expression once more. He placed his medical kit on the dresser, opening it and retrieving some gloves, which he quickly put on. Then, he took the top layer of the dishtowel and slowly pulled it away. "Shh, shh, you're okay," he muttered gently. "Just gonna take a look at your injury and then get you some antibiotics. This fever suggests you're getting an infection at the break site." Colfax had always been taught that talking gently calmed his patients, though he never guessed he'd be talking to a patient that might actually understand his words.

"This is a very good splint. But I need to remove it, just for a moment, to check the damage." He picked up a pair of small, delicate scissors from his kit. Then, Colfax gently placed his first two fingers and thumb on the small person in a way that would restrain any panicked flailing without harming him. He methodically cut away the medical tape and removed the splint, and then he cut the tiny pant leg partway up so he could move it out of the way. "Sorry about that. I need a clear view of the injury." 

When the towel was yanked away from him Charlie cried out, feeling suddenly exposed. The human was talking in a soothing voice, but neither the words nor the sentiments were making it through. Then the human actually  _ touched _ him and he lost it completely. Tears streaming down his face Charlie panicked, struggling vainly against the enormous fingers that held him in place. His eyes widened with terror at the sight of the scissors and he flinched, only daring to look when they were gone once more. Now exposed to the air his leg felt cool, though the fiery pain was still flaring through it. 

Colfax used his expertise to very softly feel out the injury. "You're in luck, little guy. This is a simple fracture with no shattering. I will be able to set it and replace your splint, and then your body and the antibiotics can take care of the rest. I know that you are frightened, and that it is painful. But please, to avoid worsening the damage, try to keep your leg still and don't tense your muscles. Understood?" With his question, Colfax glanced over to make eye contact with the small person for the first time, his expression showing only someone who knew exactly what he was doing. He was so focused, he did not overly care what he was treating, only that he needed his help.

The human touched his leg and Charlie yelped, both at the touch and the agony that the motion created. Still, though his heart was still thumping wildly and more than a bit of the panic lingered, some of what the new human had been saying made it into his mind. Despite being terrifying and much too close for comfort, he was apparently medically trained and trying to help heal Charlie’s leg.

Gulping in deep breaths through his sobs, Charlie attempted to calm down a bit. It was hard to find any bravery when he was literally pinned down by human fingers, but somehow he found enough to look up at the man. Dark eyes looked back at him, showing confidence and focus with the task at hand. Slowly, Charlie nodded to show that he did understand. It wasn’t the easiest thing, keeping his muscles relaxed when he was under so much stress, but he tried his best anyways. Leaning his head back down on the towel he closed his eyes, waiting for the pain that would come with the human setting his bone. 

Adrian couldn't clearly hear what Colfax said to Charlie, but he could tell by his tone that the man was entirely committed to the task at hand. Adrian stayed back, wringing his hands nervously. He knew better than to interrupt; that could distract Colfax or startle Charlie, and both outcomes would be bad. He winced when he clearly heard a panicked yelp coming from the dresser. 

Colfax knew that his patient was very scared, and that asking him not to tense his leg was asking a lot. But he had considerable skill in working with creatures much smaller than himself, and having a patient that actually knew, somewhere in its panic, that he was trying to help would make this so much easier. He was almost thrown off by how human the little guy's expressions were, but there was time to be in awe later. He took one deep breath to prepare himself. "Three.... Two.... One.... Set," he muttered, counting down and then using his free hand to push the bone back in place as gently and smoothly as he knew how.

“Nnng… aaaah!” Charlie yelled, a cry of pain bursting through his gritted teeth as his bone was set. The pain shot up then flared back down again, settling into a dull throb as the human rewrapped the splint. Breathing heavily Charlie opened his eyes once more, assessing the situation. The setting had been painful, but though his leg still hurt it felt better now, less awry. Thankfully, the human had definitely known what he was doing. 

Colfax knew that even he could not have done that painlessly, so with quick, expert movement he returned the splint and wrapped it with new tape, hardly even moving the injured limb in the process. Then, he retrieved a small bottle of antibiotics from his kit. He turned his head briefly to address Adrian. "He will need an ice pack. Also, please bring some water so I can dilute the antibiotics solution." Without waiting for a response from the other human, Colfax turned back to the small person. "I am sorry for your pain." Of course, Colfax never expected an answer in his line of work, and he knew that the nature of what he did often meant his patients wouldn't like him much. But he wasn't sorry for doing what he had to, only that it sometimes hurt.

The human apologized for the pain and Charlie found it in himself to nod in reply, though he was hardly focused on the words. Exhausted from the ordeal and still fevered, he lay back on the towel and closed his eyes, his chest rising and falling with quick breaths underneath the gloved fingers of the human. He had never felt so awful in all his life, and hoped that the medical human would just leave him alone now that the bone was set.

Adrian was alert as soon as Colfax turned toward him. As soon as he received the gruff order, he hurried from the room. He went to the freezer and took an ice cube, which he then wrapped up in the smallest zip bag that he could find (Charlie would probably still fit inside the bag, if he curled up, but it was the best Adrian could do). He then got a full glass of water, unsure of how much Colfax would need to get the medicine ready. In all of his busy work, he found great relief settling nicely on his shoulders; Charlie wasn't going to die, at least not today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray, another chapter! :D A bit more action again, always a lot of fun to write. As always, hope you guys enjoy it as much as we do! (Or maybe half as much is a reasonable amount... we're really having fun. ^^)


	5. Chapter 5

While the other human was gone, Colfax took a moment to observe the creature he had just treated. He removed his hand from him and tapped his finger on his chin thoughtfully, mulling things over as it laid there, eyes closed. He was undeniably curious about the little guy. He fought down an urge to start taking rapid notes. He wondered if it would even be ethical anyway, to study him without permission. He certainly looked human enough. But Colfax kept his steady gaze on the small creature, wordlessly watching for any signs that the procedure hadn't gone as planned.

Feeling the human’s eyes still boring into him, and with the body-racking shivers beginning to return, Charlie fumbled for the edge of the dish towel and pulled it back over himself. He left his injured leg out of the blanket, in case the medical one wanted to do anything more to it, but he covered up his head again. The intense feeling of being  _ observed _ was setting off every instinctual alarm he had, and while hiding out of sight didn’t logically do anything to help, it made him feel a bit better anyways. He wished he could just go to sleep and when he woke up it would all have just been one long, terrible nightmare. A nice thought, if undeniably untrue.

To his own great surprise, he also wished Adrian would come back. Though he still felt a bit hurt and betrayed by Adrian’s actions, now that his leg was set and the fever was obviously getting worse he was beginning to understand them. Above all, though, was the simple truth that Adrian was a known factor; and amidst all the variables that now filled Charlie’s life he felt a desperate need for something even as newly familiar as Adrian’s presence. Besides, this new human, while medically very helpful, was a bit too invasive of Charlie’s boundaries for him to feel comfortable. His chest still tingled unpleasantly where the man’s fingers had held him down, an experience he never  _ ever _ wanted to have again.

Adrian returned shortly, his ice pack and glass of water in tow. Colfax glanced his way before stepping to the side to give him some room. Adrian set the water down, and Colfax immediately began to measure out some of the medicine into another empty container. Adrian, however, focused on the shivering lump hiding in the dishtowel. At least Charlie seemed much better now. Adrian wished he hadn't had to startle him like that.

"H-hey, Charlie, I'm back," he announced himself softly, earning a sidelong glance from Colfax. "I have some ice for your leg. We can set it under your towel there so it's easy for you to move your leg on and off it. Does that sound okay?" He didn't reach out just yet, preferring to wait for an answer before getting so close again. Adrian had a strong feeling that whatever progress he had made with the little guy earlier had been somewhat dampened by the circumstances.

Relief flooded Charlie as he heard Adrian’s voice, quiet and concerned. The presence of somebody familiar, however recently met, was very welcome. Knowing he couldn’t answer the question from under the towel, Charlie thrust it off of his head with a huff, his messy hair still sticking to his fevered forehead. Nodding enough for Adrian to be able to see it Charlie acquiesced to the idea, which actually sounded like quite a good one. The ice would help numb his leg, and at the moment no feeling sounded much better than the throbbing pain currently coursing through it. 

Looking around he noticed that the medical human was standing off to the left, carefully measuring out something into a small container. That’s right, he had mentioned something about an “antibiotics solution”. Charlie had been a bit too panicked to consider the words earlier, but now it looked to be fairly important in his near future. It sounded very scientific, and he wasn’t exactly sure what it was (if he were honest with himself, he had absolutely no idea what it meant). His kind mostly relied on natural medicine, as the field of healthcare as humans knew it was much too difficult for them to organize or take part in without great danger. Even the simple aspirin that he had taken earlier had been a complete leap of faith on Charlie’s part. The thought of taking some unknown human-made substance with no idea what the effects would be actually scared Charlie quite a bit.

Adrian couldn't help the faint smile that twitched at his lips. Charlie's tiny, almost-inaudible huff and his almost exasperated expression had done it. But Adrian saw that he was still fevered, so an ice pack and some medicine seemed like it was in order soon. Slowly, he reached out and lifted a portion of the towel to slide the ice pack under it so that it would be near Charlie's injured leg. He was very careful never to touch the smaller man, though, and his hands retreated as soon as the deed was done. "There we go. That should help numb the pain while you heal."

Colfax finished his measuring and twisted the cap back onto a clear plastic bottle. "Your fever should be manageable now that the bone is set," he spoke, trying to match Adrian's volume, though his deeper voice didn't help. "But I think you still got a minor infection. Nothing life-threatening." He turned his gaze to Adrian. "You'll want to make sure he drinks some of this medicine every day for a while, until things improve."

As Adrian set the ice pack, which was about as big as Charlie himself, near his leg the small man couldn't help but tense a little. He shouldn't have worried though; true to form Adrian did everything without so much as touching him, and withdrew his hands as soon as everything was in place. Charlie sat up and arranged the ice pack near his leg, listening to the other one as he explained the medicine, his deep voice quieter now but still reverberating slightly through Charlie's chest. The medicine sounded harmless enough, and since Adrian seemed perfectly okay with the idea he figured it was probably pretty normal- for humans at least. 

Charlie wasn't exactly sure how he felt about the medical human. Now that his bone was set and he was doing better he could see that the human had only been helping him, but at the same time he couldn't help but be wary of him after what he'd done. Part of him wished that Adrian would just thank him and make him leave, but the thought of an unknown human walking out the door with Charlie's secret was definitely not a pleasant one either. Since he wasn't talking anyway it was kind of a moot point- the humans were going to do what they wanted regardless of his conflicted thoughts. Still, he couldn't help but feel very nervous about the whole thing. This day just kept getting better and better, didn't it?

Colfax removed his gloves with quick, fluid motions, and returned them to his first aid kit. He packed up his other things methodically, snapping the case shut. With that done, he turned to address Adrian again, who still watched Charlie with some concern. "So, Adrian," he spoke, and the other human met his neutral gaze warily. "Now that I have tended to this grievous injury, what is next? Did you give him that name? Are you going to keep him safe and hidden away?"

Adrian bristled. He didn't like Colfax's words, but he didn't think his friend meant any harm by them. More likely he was now trying to rationalize something that, to Colfax, would be a massive scientific shock. "H-he told me his name," he supplied. "And I'm probably going to help until he's healed again. I guess when he can walk again he'll go on with his life and I'll go on with mine."

Colfax raised an eyebrow. "You're not even a little bit curious about what you could learn? Even if you just convince him to tell you more than a name there's thousands of things you could learn with no harm done."

Adrian shook his head, glancing at Charlie. He tried his best to look apologetic, knowing that Colfax was being his usual impolite self. "Jesus, Colfax. I already broke his leg. I don't think wearing him down with questions is within my rights right now."

Their conversation went on over Charlie’s head, making him feel both a bit indignant and very anxious indeed. Adrian never failed to surprise him with how nice he was; despite all his help, Charlie still hadn’t really believed he would let him go back home until the human actually said it. Then again, the other human (“Colfax”, he now knew) was acting exactly as he expected a human would. The curiosity, the questions, the complete disregard for giving Charlie a choice in the matter… this was exactly what he had been warned about as a child, and precisely why he had chosen to remain silent. At least he had Adrian defending him- despite all that had happened earlier, Charlie was no longer afraid of him. In fact he trusted him more than he felt comfortable with, but given a sudden contrast in Colfax, Charlie couldn’t help but feel lucky to have Adrian around. 

The ice pack now situated he lay back down again, the fever still making every muscle in his body feel exhausted and aching. All he wanted to do was go back to sleep, but he couldn’t afford to when two humans were currently discussing his future. Adrian had proved to have Charlie’s best interests in mind so far, but who knew how much influence a friend like Colfax had over his decisions? No, he had to stay awake, if only to know what kind of actions to expect from the two of them later. So he waited and kept listening, resisting the urge to close his eyes and let the drowsiness overtake him. He wasn’t going to die because of a broken leg anymore, but that didn’t mean his life as he knew it wasn’t still in jeopardy.

Colfax pursed his lips lightly and nodded. Adrian was never one to get outright angry, but he could tell that if he pushed the issue any further he'd probably see the next closest thing. "Alright. Just let me know if his health takes a turn for the worse." He picked up his first aid kit. "I need to get back now, though, if that's okay."

"Y-yeah." He watched as Colfax headed for the door. "Well, wait a second," he said, and stopped him. "Don't tell anybody? I don't want people showing up here asking more questions."

Colfax responded with a faint smile. He looked at Charlie when he spoke. "Who would believe it anyway? Your secret is safe with me, Adrian." And with that said, Colfax left.

Adrian turned his attention back to Charlie now, though he did look somewhat ashamed. "L-look, I know you probably hate me right now, because you said you didn't want anybody else to see you. I'm really sorry and it won't happen again. I just needed help and he's the only person I know well enough to trust and I don't like watching people die." He finished in a rush, also silently hoping that Charlie wouldn't be offended that he spoke over him so much. But if Charlie wasn't speaking for himself against Colfax's suggestions, somebody had to.

As Colfax left Charlie forced himself to sit up, watching as they exchanged a few last words. He was relieved that Colfax had agreed to keep his existence a secret, though he didn’t like the look that the human had given him or the way he talked about him. Still, at least that was one less thing for him to worry about now. He nodded in reply to Adrian’s monologue, trying to convey with one gesture that he didn’t hold anything against him. Charlie understood better now that Adrian had just been trying to help, and though he didn’t particularly like Colfax now knowing about him he couldn’t possibly blame that on Adrian. The human had done more than enough for him, even defended him against one of his own kind, so Charlie couldn’t find it in himself to hold a grudge. He hoped Adrian got the message, and wondered if there was some other way he could convey his gratitude; he wanted to talk less than ever now, but he didn’t want to leave Adrian with the idea that he hated him in any way.

Eventually he just smiled up at Adrian, hoping that would get the message across. He could hardly keep his eyes open, though, and the stress of the situation had only made it worse. After doing his best to communicate with Adrian he lay back down again, succumbing to the sleepiness that threatened to overwhelm him. There was quite a bit for him to worry about, but he could think through all of it later. For now he was tired, Colfax was gone and Adrian had promised nobody else would come, so he allowed himself to close his eyes. The ice pack was slowly numbing the pain in his leg, and despite the fever he felt better. Even though Adrian was still in the room, or perhaps because of it now, Charlie felt more comfortable. 

Adrian knew he'd probably get an earful for rushing Colfax out like that. But, seeing Charlie lie down exhausted from the whole ordeal confirmed that it was the right move. He had caused a lot of trouble for his little neighbor already. He couldn't help but brighten his own expression when he saw the smile. He was so relieved that he was forgiven. Adrian really didn't know what to do when people were angry with him.

Now, his shoulders relaxed as he realized just how tense he had been himself. It had been a while since he had invited anybody to his home, even at his old house. Being very solitary and particular himself, Adrian tended not to keep friends very close, and sometimes Colfax could be tough to deal with. But all was well: Charlie's injury was cared for, and no arguments had broken out. With that success in mind, Adrian left Charlie alone in the room to catch up on rest. He decided that, around dinnertime, he would return to check on him and offer some much-needed food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never know what to say for these little description things, haha. ^^; Hope you're enjoying the story, I know I am! As always, comments and critiques are greatly appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

Later Charlie wouldn’t even remember Adrian leaving. He fell into a deep sleep almost immediately, the ice pack numbing his leg and the towel-blanket keeping the rest of him warm. Though he never woke up, his rest was fevered and agitated, filled with nightmares about large gloved hands trapping and crushing him. It was almost a relief when he finally awakened, drenched with sweat but with his fever broken. His leg throbbed slightly and felt cold from the now-melted ice pack, so once he was awake enough Charlie heaved himself upright and slid the cold, damp plastic bag off of the splint. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he took a look around the room. If the dim evening light coming through the window was any indication, he had been asleep for a few hours at least, maybe more.

His stomach growled and he winced, wrapping a hand around it. Though his perception of time was still a bit whacked, the peach he had eaten with the medicine had obviously been a while ago, and had certainly not made up for almost a week of hunger before that. He hoped Adrian would come and check in on him soon so that he could sign his need for some food.

That thought made him stop and reevaluate his life for a moment. The idea that not only was he now dependent on a human to give him food, but that he actually  _ wanted _ the human to come and interact with him would have seemed insane to him that morning, laughable even. Now it just scared him. If he had already let his guard down around Adrian that much after less than a day, then perhaps he wasn’t as strong of a person as he had believed himself to be. It was dangerous was what it was, and he couldn’t believe he was letting himself trust a human so much. He was taught better than that, and almost felt guilty about it. Still, he reasoned, given the circumstances actively distrusting Adrian wasn’t in anybody’s best interest. He would just… just keep his guard up a bit more and be ready for anything, sticking firmly to the Code he had been raised by. It was the only way he saw to deal with the current situation while staying as true as possible to the beliefs of his own race.

He sighed deeply, slouching over tiredly and resting his hands in his lap. There were so many emotions fighting for room inside of him, some of which he didn’t even understand. He had never expected that being caught by a human would create a moral issue, of all things, yet here he was. The world was evidently not as he thought it was, as everybody thought it was, and that was going to take some serious consideration. Perhaps, though, that self-realization would have to wait until he wasn’t laid low with a broken leg.

Adrian had the living room and the kitchen fully organized by the time the light in the windows started to dim. He went to the kitchen to see about food. No doubt Charlie would need food. If not because his meal earlier was so small, then because of the stressful ordeal. Getting an infection and then having your bone set had to do a number on your metabolism. He retrieved a smaller plate from the cupboard; it was still laughably large for Charlie, but it had to be better than a Tupperware lid.

Adrian decided to put another small piece of peach on the plate, since he had an open can just sitting in the fridge. He also put a piece of bread next to it, keeping both near the edge so Charlie would be able to reach without too much trouble. Finally, Adrian found the bottle cap from before, and, after some thought, put some warmed-up broth in it. He couldn't be certain, but it was a good enough guess that Charlie's nutritional needs were similar. He delicately picked up the plate and headed down the short hallway to the bedroom.

He peeked around the door, his eyes going to the dresser. Seeing Charlie awake, he entered fully. "H-hey, there, Charlie. I figured it'd be good to have some food." He approached slowly, setting the plate down next to the towel-bed. "Tried to add some variety this time," he explained with a faint chuckle. His eyes found the bottle of water that Colfax had prepared with antibiotics. Seemed like there was a lot there, but that may have been because drinking the medicine wouldn't work as effectively and required more. "I guess it's a good time to have some medicine too, if you want."

Charlie looked up as Adrian entered the room, relieved and rather surprised to see that he already had some food for him. The plate was set down next to him and the aroma of the warm broth made Charlie’s mouth water. Eagerly he reached for the piece of bread, wolfing most of it down in record time. He was absolutely  _ starving _ after all of that, much more so than even he had expected. Hearing Adrian’s comment about the medicine he nodded, giving the bottle a curious glance. Despite still being a bit wary about ingesting something so man-made, Adrian seemed to think it was a good idea, and Colfax had said it would help get rid of an infection. As strange as the whole thing seemed to him, Charlie didn’t want to take any chances, especially when getting worse would probably mean Colfax coming back to visit again. So taking the medicine it was.

The bread was polished off quickly, as was the peach, and soon enough Charlie was holding a bottle-cap full of warm broth in both hands. He sniffed the steam appreciatively, taking a small sip and shivering with pleasure as the warmth flooded through his body. It was rare that he ever got to eat soup (cans were impossible to open and even more impossible to take) and he was thoroughly enjoying the experience. He wouldn’t admit it, not even to himself, but it felt really nice to have somebody taking care of him. Nobody had done something like that since he was little (well, littler), and most of his adult life had been spent alone, unseen, and unknown by anybody but a spare few. Despite the fact that the care was coming from a human, of all things, it still made him feel pretty… good.

Adrian couldn't really say that Charlie's big appetite surprised him. It had been a while since the last time he ate, and the little fellow had gone through quite an ordeal since then. Still, seeing him scarf down the food like that was a little fascinating- he tried to picture what the meal would look like at that scale. It was a lot of food!

Not wanting to stare and be rude, he looked away after only a few seconds to busy himself with the bottle of antibiotics. He took off the cap and let a few drops fall into it. This cap was much smaller than the other; it'd probably be equivalent to a glass of water, which had to be enough. "Well, here's that," he said, carefully gripping the small piece of plastic. "I dunno how much you're supposed to have, but I guess we can start with this much." He set the cap on the mostly-empty plate.

After a pause, Adrian worked up the nerve to speak again, though he knew he was unlikely to get an answer. "So, is there anything else you need? Geez, I don't want to be hovering over you like some mother hen or anything... I just don't want you going without something you need out of shyness or anything like that. I'm here to help. God," a thought occurred to him and his brow wrinkled with worry. "There wasn't someone or something depending on you being back somewhere, was there?"

Though Charlie appreciated Adrian’s concern, he shook his head emphatically. As far as he knew there wasn’t anything else he needed, and there certainly wasn’t anybody depending on him. Like most of his kind he lived alone, and it had been months since he’d even talked to anybody else. Nobody would miss him, or think it unusual if they didn’t hear from him. His face dropped a bit at the thought. In fact, nobody would probably even notice that he was no longer living as usual. The notion was nothing new, but it still made him a bit sad to think that he could’ve been captured by a human, one much worse than Adrian, and nobody would have noticed. It wasn’t the first time his lifestyle had made him feel a bit lonely, but it was definitely the first time he had realized that there were potentially severe downsides to it. He didn’t know of anything else, though, practically everybody lived that way. It was just what they did, since more than one of them living in a house greatly increased the chances of a human noticing. They didn’t really know how to live any other way.

Shaking himself out of these thoughts, Charlie focused on more important things. He had finally finished the bowl of broth, and for the first time in a while he felt comfortably full. Reaching over he picked up the cap of medicine, which was much smaller; it was almost the size of the cups he had back in his rooms, and for once he didn’t need two hands to hold it. He looked down at it curiously, and a bit warily, still unsure of what to expect or even what it did exactly. It looked just like water, and didn’t really smell like anything either, which was part of why it was so weird. Being used to natural herbal remedies, Charlie didn’t quite trust a medicine you couldn’t even see. Still, Colfax seemed to know what he was doing earlier, and Adrian was encouraging it so it couldn’t be all that bad. Before he could freak himself out about it he tipped the cup up, downing the whole thing in a few swallows. It didn’t really taste like anything either, to Charlie’s surprise, and he wondered if it would even have an effect on him. After all, most human things weren’t exactly made for someone his size, so who was to say this would be different? 

Adrian knew that Charlie didn't trust him much, but he believed his answer. It would not be very self-serving to lie about someone else waiting on him, he reasoned. So he relaxed a bit, confident that he hadn't wrecked the lives of a family of little people. He vaguely wondered what that meant- did any other people like Charlie even exist, or was he just a loner? If there were more out there in the world, Adrian had to count himself impressed by their level of secrecy. Going undetected under the eyes of today's technology had to be tough.

He waited for Charlie to drink the water-and-medicine solution. He wondered if it would work, considering it hadn't really been tested before. He could only hope that it at least wouldn't make things worse. "Great, I think that's about as much as you'd need for now. We can try more tomorrow if your fever hangs on." He glanced at the handle of the dustpan that still housed Charlie's towel-bed, and at the melted ice pack. "Okay, so, I'm not being the best host here. I can get more ice of course. Do you want a different set up to sleep on? I don't know what you'd be most comfortable with. I can't say I like the idea of you climbing back into the walls for the night and then getting stuck somewhere with a splinted leg, but if that's where you want to go I can't really stop you." In truth, he hoped Charlie would stick around for a while, as he was still quite astonished, but he understood if it was not possible.

Not for the first time, and not for the last either, Charlie was taken aback by Adrian's kindness. He really was willing to let Charlie go free whenever he wanted. Still, as comforting as going back to his own rooms sounded, he knew it just wasn't practical. He had no food left at home, not to mention the path to get there was impossible with his leg as useless as it was. No, staying with Adrian was the only option if he wanted to live; and, as he was finding more every moment, it might not be such a bad option after all. 

With that decided, he took a look around and appraised his situation. The ice question was easy, as it was a definite yes. He let Adrian know by pointing to the melted ice pack and nodding emphatically. As for the 'bed', as it were... the towel was comfortable enough, but the angle of the dustpan (not to mention the indignity of it now that he was a bit more level-headed) was kind of uncomfortable. Beyond that though, Charlie really had no idea. He supposed just sleeping on the top of the dresser would be comfortable enough, as the towel took the hardness out of it. He was worn down enough to sleep just about anywhere really. So he told this to Adrian by first grasping the towel and nodding then pointing to the dustpan and shaking his head, hoping the human would interpret his impromptu signals correctly.

Adrian paused, mulling over Charlie's sign language. He was pretty sure he understood it, but he had to think for a moment about how he would manage it. He didn't want to jostle Charlie too much considering his injured leg, and he didn't want to even try lifting him off the pan. He delayed his choice by first moving the melted ice pack out of the way, keeping clear of the little person next to it. "I'll fix this up in just a moment," he murmured. Then, "I can get rid of this pan. I kind of forgot about it for a while."

He hesitated briefly, his hands stopping in mid reach. He really hoped he wouldn't cause Charlie to topple over or something. Then, he grasped the handle of the pan in one hand and pinched the edge of the towel in the other, avoiding any contact with Charlie himself. Pursing his lips in concentration, Adrian steadied the makeshift bed and slowly dragged the pan out from under it, trying to keep it level.

The edge of the towel was pinched in one of Adrian’s hands, though thankfully that was as far as it went. Charlie clutched the towel tightly as the pan was moved, not at all enjoying the feeling of the floor sliding out from under him. Adrian did it very smoothly, though, and after only a short moment Charlie found himself sitting on the wood of the dresser itself. It was still an odd perspective, he thought, looking around as Adrian picked up the pan high over his head. He didn’t think he’d ever been up this high before; the highest he usually got was the kitchen counter, and that was much lower than the piece of furniture he was currently on. It was almost like seeing things as humans did, and it interested him immensely. For the first time in his life he realized that the enormous things humans filled their homes with actually looked like a normal size to them, just as his makeshift furniture in his own rooms looked perfectly normal to him. It sounded so simple, but he had never really thought of it that way before. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was almost enjoying learning so many new things.

Adrian relaxed his shoulders once he'd removed the dustpan, unaware that he'd been tense. He guessed that the thought of accidentally knocking Charlie into his hand weighed heavily on him. He glanced at the simple piece of plastic. It was abandoned and unimportant to its previous owner, but Adrian was glad to have it. It made it much easier to keep himself steady, and so far it had helped him to keep a polite enough distance from Charlie. He almost shuddered at the thought of being touched by a giant hand. No wonder the little guy had wanted Colfax to leave.

Setting the pan down, Adrian couldn't help but smile as Charlie looked around. "I guess things in here are different from what you'd be used to. I hope my furniture won't be in your way once you're moving around normally again."

Charlie shook his head, smiling slightly at the thought. He regarded furniture to be like buildings: they were large and unmoving, and as long as one counted on them being there they could be useful. The idea that they could be in his way was almost laughable, and the notion that a human would even think about that even more so. Adrian never ceased to surprise him, though usually in a good way. Besides, the furniture that Adrian had moved in with (well, as little as Charlie had been able to see of it so far) looked very good for someone his size- high enough off the floor to duck under but low enough to provide cover, with easily climbable levels and the kind of surfaces that wouldn’t show marks from his climbing gear. Not that he really needed any of that anymore though, not now that he had been beyond seen. Sometimes he forgot just how much this event had changed his life, not just now but into the future as well. It was all a bit scary if he were honest with himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a long chapter, but you'll see why in the next bit. :3 Charlie is getting better and they are learning to trust each other! What could possibly go wrong?


	7. Chapter 7

Colfax arrived home and placed his keys on the side table. But he didn't sit at his windowside desk, instead going to his bookshelf. He stared blankly at the bindings, thinking about how all of his studies of biology and veterinary science couldn't have prepared him for his discovery. Or rather, Adrian's discovery. He had to be cautious; he didn't want to alienate Adrian, but he had to learn more. If little people really lived among them, he wanted to learn everything he possibly could.

He narrowed his dark eyes when the idea came to him. If he couldn't look at the one Adrian had bonded with, he'd have to find his own specimen. Resolved, he picked a random book and flipped through it, reading right at the shelf. Even as he did so, he spared a few glances around his kitchen/living room, finding a few nondescript spots that he wouldn't have noticed if he didn't know what to look for. But with his eyes opened, Colfax smirked at his book to think that at least one of them must be an entrance for one of the little people. A plan began to form in his brain.

Sawyer hummed a merry little tune to himself, the sound echoing slightly down the tunnel through the wall in which he was walking. It had been a good day. His human had been called away suddenly to help a friend in the neighborhood, leaving him with an uncommon opportunity to pop out and grab some supplies he needed- safety pins, tape, the kinds of things that Colfax kept on his desk. They were in the sack on his back at the moment, clanking together faintly as he climbed up the nails that led to his rooms in the walls.

Colfax was one of the easiest humans Sawyer had ever lived with. He was quiet, almost to the point of creating his own silence, and was habitual in just about every part of his routine. The apartment was always kept neat, but not so neat that little things going missing would be noticed- just neat enough that Sawyer always knew just where everything could be found. Taking the little odds and ends he needed was almost too easy.

Setting down the bag in the area he called his kitchen, Sawyer took a look around and pulled a face. He hadn’t gone on a food run in a while, and his cupboard was practically bare. A run to the cupboard in the human’s kitchen was definitely necessary. Humming to himself once more, he climbed back down the nails and into the tunnels again. Colfax was back in the apartment already, but that didn’t matter. He had been in the middle of a scientific research paper when he had been called away, and would certainly be back at his desk continuing his work. Sawyer could get in and out of the kitchen without him even noticing. After all, Sawyer knew that nothing could keep Colfax from pursuing a line of scientific inquiry once he had begun.

The book Colfax had picked up was about small mammals, and happened to have good information on how to predict some of their habits. He knew there were going to be several differences, but in an environment like this there had to be certain constants. Access to food would be the most well-used and important pathway for any creature. With his book still in hand, he went into the kitchen area. His plan, though formed quickly, should be enough to have a measure of control over where any little people entered his kitchen. With that in place, he'd stand a better chance of catching one off guard.

He didn't need to pretend to be distracted by his book. Colfax actually did take interest in the passages, but he was multitasking. Casually, and absently, he moved some of the items around on his counters and in a few cupboards. If anybody was watching, they'd think he was distractedly looking for something to eat in his kitchen, while studying intently from the book in his hands. He was, in fact, studying his book. But he'd also ensured that only one of his kitchen cupboards remained unchecked. He didn't open the last one. While moving things, he had blocked any potential openings in all other areas of the kitchen except for this one, which contained cereal and crackers.

Now came the wait. Colfax had plenty of book left, and his patience was notorious. He casually leaned against the counter in front of the untouched cupboard, losing himself in the next chapter; it actually had some information he could use in the paper he was working on. But standing where he was, he was able to listen for any telltale sounds of movement inside the cupboard, sounds that before today he'd never have a reason to notice. Maybe he'd catch something, maybe not. But Colfax waited patiently, for all intents and purposes too absorbed in his book.

Making his way quietly along the tunnels in the wall, Sawyer swore under his breath. While looking for something to eat his human had unknowingly blocked many of his entrances to the cupboards, leaving only one open; and that one was where he had decided to stop and read whatever book it was that he was sucked into now. Briefly the smaller man considered going back to his rooms and forgoing the whole thing until later, but his stomach growled and impatience won out. It was a bit risky, but not nearly as dangerous as things Sawyer had attempted before, and Colfax wouldn’t notice anyways. He was prone to being completely oblivious to the world around him when doing anything remotely studious. It was part of why Sawyer had chosen this particular apartment to live in (well, that and what few friends he had lived nearby). 

Still, Sawyer was cautious as he entered the cupboard, moving as quietly and stealthily as he could; which was practically silent to even the sharpest of ears. He appraised his limited options with a grimace. Cereal and crackers weren’t his favorite things to eat, not to mention the fact that getting either of them out of their packaging tended to be a bit noisier than he would like. A nagging instinct in the back of his mind urged him to just go back home, but he ignored it. Even crackers would be better than whatever stale crumbs he had in his rooms, and he wasn’t patient enough to wait for nightfall and move the items blocking his access to the other cupboards. He would just grab a cracker and make do with that, he decided, spotting a half-empty and open sleeve lying close by. Low risk and instant gratification, how hard could it be?

Creeping over to the sleeve of crackers he grabbed the nearest one, sliding it out of the plastic with a small wince as the packaging rustled slightly. It wasn’t terribly loud, though, and Colfax had ignored much louder noises of his. Hiking the large, circular cracker up under his arm awkwardly he turned to go.

After a few minutes, Colfax wondered if his plan was too simple, too silly. How could there really be little people living in his walls? But… Adrian had found one. Why shouldn't he be able to as well? Even if it meant looking somewhere else. He was about to dismiss his current stance when his ears pricked to a sound. It was faint, and he knew he had no reason to believe it had actually occurred. It was definitely the kind of thing he would ignore as unimportant on any other day. But today was different; today there was something to be gained from paying this much attention to the faintest sound.

Despite his excitement, his movements were steady as he turned abruptly and opened the cupboard. He abandoned his book on the counter as his eyes quickly scanned the situation in the small space. Even Colfax, unflappable as he normally was, had to pause and take in a quick breath; unless he was experiencing a very long-lasting and specific hallucination, there was a little person raiding his cupboard, carrying a whole cracker. But he didn't dwell on this; no, if he stared like an idiot, that gave it a chance to escape the way it had come, and if that happened his chances of finding another one would dwindle. So, before anything else, Colfax shoved a box of cereal to the back of the cupboard, between the creature and its barely-visible exit. His face became a neutral mask then, his eyes settling on his catch with scientific interest.

Sawyer froze as the cupboard became suddenly flooded with light, his expression a mix of shock and incredulity. That sound should  _ never _ have caught Colfax’s attention, definitely not enough for the human to go investigating, so why on earth was he being stared at right now? The thought only flashed through his mind for a fraction of a second, before he ditched the cracker and made a mad dash to get back in the wall. He skidded to a halt as a large box of cereal crashed in front of him, cutting off his escape route. With a short yell he became unbalanced and fell over backwards, sitting on the floor of the cupboard with a small thud. Frantically he glanced around, looking for something, anything that could help him get away. There was nothing of course, just a blocked hole and a set of too-large eyes boring a hole into his back.

This could not be happening. Running a shaky hand through his hair he ran over the events of the last few minutes. Colfax had been acting unusual, which was so uncommon for him that it really should have raised more red flags for Sawyer now that he thought about it. Ever since he had come back from his sudden house call he had been acting weirder than usual. Suddenly, part of his behavior clicked for Sawyer. All of his entrances to the other cupboards being conveniently blocked, Colfax deciding to read his book just outside of the only option left… how could he have been so stupid? He’d fallen hook, line, and sinker for an obvious trap, all because he wasn’t expecting to ever run into one. The real question, though, was why Colfax had set it in the first place. It was like he knew that Sawyer existed… Hesitantly, and only after mustering up quite a bit of courage, Sawyer turned around to look up at his captor.

Colfax noted a number of things from the creature's reaction. The flight response, he expected. However, the little guy ran directly for his door instead of panicking, even abandoning his precious food for better mobility. A lot of rational thought went into that decision. That meant that these creatures were intelligent as well. That was an excellent discovery by itself.

Now came the really interesting part. Colfax had made eye contact with his startled quarry. He could tell that it understood how trapped it was at the moment. A cornered creature, no matter how intelligent, could be unpredictable. He had to be sure to prevent any desperate actions. Remembering that Adrian's little friend had understood English, he took a chance and spoke.

"I'm going to take you out of there in a second. I suggest against panicking. It could cause you a potential injury." He tried to keep his voice down, but it didn't occur to him how cold and calculating he could sound.

Scrambling to his feet at the words, Sawyer kept eye contact with Colfax, a feat that took no little amount of bravery. His next actions took even more, and he surprised himself by shouting, “Don’t you dare! You… you keep those big hands to yourself, you hear?” Even as he yelled the words he was shaking, the fear making adrenaline rush through every part of his body. It was all he could do to keep his knees from buckling under him. He had known Colfax was the type to study things with keen interest, but  _ Jesus _ he hated being the one under such scrutiny. 

Every instinct he had was screaming that this whole thing was wrong, that he should be running, hiding, anything but standing there and looking back at the human that had him cornered. Curse the foolish confidence that had landed him here! He was going to get an earful for this from his friends, for sure; that is, if he survived this encounter long enough to see any of them again.

Colfax raised an eyebrow at the brave words. He could hear the quaver in them, and he could see that every nerve in the tiny person's body was primed. He also heard the faint sound of a southern drawl... that was interesting. Perhaps these creatures were more widespread than he had imagined. Perhaps he'd even find more such information from the little guy himself. Maybe. He knew his powers of persuasion were lacking.

He pursed his lips before answering. "I have no interest in hurting you. But judging by your current situation I would say your threat is empty." He brought a hand up, resting it on the edge of the cupboard and drumming his fingers lightly. "Again, don't panic," he advised, right before steadily moving his hand into the cupboard, creating a sort of wall with it to corral the little guy in until he had a clear shot at getting a hold of him.

Sawyer winced, knowing the truth when he heard it. Of course his threat was empty, how could it not be when he was literally a fraction of the size of the human in front of him? The little person was beginning to seriously regret moving in with such an intelligent human. He watched the hand warily as it rested on the edge of the cupboard, scrambling away from it quickly as it moved towards him. Even a human with the best intentions couldn’t convince Sawyer that human hands were harmless, and at the moment he doubted Colfax had the best intentions.

“Don’t panic,” Sawyer scoffed quietly to himself, shaking his head slightly at the advice. Easier said than done, that was. “You try not to panic when a giant starts getting all grabby…” The words were mostly muttered to himself, a continuation of the brave façade he put on to distract from his own fear. Still, the fact remained that he was for all intents and purposes trapped, and quite a bit of panic was beginning to well up inside of him. Captured, with nowhere to go and a human reaching out for you… it was everybody’s worst nightmare.

Colfax almost hesitated and drew his hand back. The fear on the tiny face was much more expressive than the mice and other little critters he had dealt with for so long. This guy understood all of his words and still feared his grasp. Colfax took a deep breath; he had to find out more. It wasn't like he lied about hurting the little guy.

Once he reached the little guy, he slowly wrapped his fingers around the smaller body. His training kept his hand steady, and he was gentle with the motion. But he also made certain that his grip wasn't too loose, as he started to draw the creature out into the light. He felt the tiny heartbeat, and was surprised to feel his own heavy heartbeat. Even Colfax couldn't help but adopt an expression of wonder at what he held.

“N-no! Don’t-!” Sawyer stammered, the complaint cut short as fingers wrapped around him and he stopped breathing for a moment out of pure fear. His heart pounded madly against the wall of flesh that now imprisoned him, encasing him loosely enough not to hurt but definitely tightly enough to be intensely uncomfortable. Sawyer immediately decided that the sensation was just as terrible as he imagined it would be, and boy did he have a vivid imagination. 

He drew a sharp breath as he was moved out into the light, which reminded him that he should probably keep breathing even if his lungs didn’t feel as if they could fill up quite enough. Luckily he had kept his head enough to make sure his arms stayed free as the human grabbed him, and at the moment they were clinging desperately to the fingers in front of him. He was by no means afraid of heights, but there was a big difference between being up high of your own accord and being held feet above the ground with only a human between you and falling. “Put… put me down,” he gasped, his hands still scrambling for a hold and his eyes wide with fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now you see why the last chapter had to run a little long! We have a POV change! :D Not only do you get to see more of Colfax, but a new character as well. Enjoy! We sure did. XD


	8. Chapter 8

Colfax's brows furrowed a bit. He thought he would be prepared for the wide-eyed fear. After all, he'd been studying for years, and always handled these reactions just fine. But, to be fair, none of his other subjects could order him to put them down. That was new. He took a deep breath, returning to his blank expression, and trying to force out any guilt he was feeling. This was all scientific; he could do this without hurting anyone, so it would be okay in the end.

Still, the kitchen was no place to stand and stare. And he couldn't handle the little guy for too long without worrying that he'd struggle and break one of those tiny bones. So he turned and walked to his desk, pushing aside his laptop with his free hand and sitting down. Then, he gently set his capture on the flat surface, keeping his hands a safe distance to be able to stop any attempts to run off. "There, see? No broken bones." he said softly, his gaze steadily taking in all the details he could. This one was just as fascinating as the other one Adrian had found.

Sawyer gasped in relief as Colfax set him down on the desk, the constricting pressure around his entire body released as the human drew his hand back. He remained seated, lacking the ability or the motivation to stand at the moment. His arms were crossed across his chest, more for a small feeling of personal security than anything else. No broken bones? He should certainly hope not! If that was all Colfax thought to worry about, then he was surely in for a heap of trouble.

“What,” he started to ask, before his mouth became suddenly dry and he had to start over again. “What are you plannin’ to do with me?” He no longer had the courage to look Colfax in the eye, not after the terrifying experience he had just had, and so he stared intently at the desk beneath him instead. Horrible ideas were running through his head, every warning and story he’d ever heard as a child bubbling back up to the surface. Humans were cruel and unmerciful to the things they caught, everybody knew that, and he dreaded to think what might be in store for him in the near future.

Colfax tilted his head, and put his hand on his chin thoughtfully. He realized that a lot of these reactions were far less animal and much more human. It wasn't unexpected by any means, but it wasn't his expertise either. Psychology wasn't his thing. But it sure was interesting to watch anyway. He suddenly frowned; watching all of this fear was becoming... unsettling. He had to try to get away from that line of thinking if he was going to keep this up.

"What I plan to do is learn," he replied. He leaned over to get a clearer look at the downturned face. He reached out with a finger and tentatively brushed one of the tiny arms. "I'm guessing not many people get a chance to take a really good look at a... whatever you may be." He backed off again, not wanting to over-agitate. "And don't worry, I'm not going to kill you or cut you or anything like that; if you'll believe it my profession is to help with all manner of non-human things." And to study them inside and out, but Colfax was not about to point that out right now. He wanted to observe, not completely terrorize.

Colfax’s words were far from comforting, and Sawyer visibly flinched away as the human brushed his arm. Well, at least he knew he wasn’t going to die now, though the things Colfax assured him he wouldn’t do had caused a rather unpleasant group of images to run through his mind. He knew enough about Colfax’s profession, he had seen everything he had ever read or worked on, and he knew full well that it included quite a few nuances that the human was leaving out. That wasn’t the only thing Colfax had said that had rubbed him the wrong way either. 

“Just because I ain’t human doesn’t mean I ain’t a person,” he retorted, the burst of irritation giving him the courage to look Colfax in the eyes as he said it. “And I certainly ain’t some animal you can just apply your scientific studies to as you please. So just… let me go?” He said the last part hopefully, looking up at the human with a pleading expression. In no way did he expect to be listened to, much less get what he wanted, but at the very least he had said his piece. What would happen next would be entirely up to Colfax.

Colfax had to lean back, clasping his hands in front of his face. He peered down at the little guy, thinking hard. The more he spoke, the harder it became for Colfax to avoid the ethical dilemma he had landed himself in. It was a lot easier to quietly observe when the subject couldn't directly tell you off for doing so. In fact, humans' ability to speak was the main reason Colfax was studying to be a veterinarian instead of a doctor. Talking was not his strong point, one of the reasons he had so few friends. He suddenly thought of what Adrian would say, and his frown deepened for a second.

Colfax sighed and met the smaller person's gaze once more. "I will let you go," he replied. "But not right away; if I pass up on the opportunity to learn more now, I may regret it forever. There's a lot you can teach me. Hell, even by existing, your kind is opening my eyes to many new things." His scientific drive had temporarily won out. Colfax's resolve was that nobody would be hurt, and it could only make him better at what he did. "Besides, I know of another... one, who could probably stand some conversation from someone his own size. It's a bit late to be bothering either of them now, but perhaps you'd like to make a house call to my most recent patient tomorrow to check up on him?"

A fine layer of skepticism still applied to much of what Colfax was telling Sawyer, but his sudden revelation of knowing somebody else like Sawyer took the viri completely by surprise. No wonder he had known about Sawyer’s presence in the apartment, the signs were all too obvious if you knew what you were looking for. It would also explain why everything had changed all of a sudden. His unexpected house call must have been to this other guy; which would make the ‘patient’ in question a local resident. He wasn’t sure if the poor sap had gotten involved with humans and then hurt or the other way around, but either way he seemed to be even more royally screwed than Sawyer was. 

Which prompted two questions in his mind: who was it, and did Sawyer know him? The fear that Sawyer had of Colfax, though by no means gone, was beginning to be overshadowed by the fear that somebody he knew might be seriously injured- enough to have to call in a human to fix him up. “This patient of yours…” he started slowly, unsure of what kind of response he even wanted to hear, “did he have a name?” He only knew a handful of others that lived around here, but then again they were the  _ only _ others that lived around here; and when you had so few friends you cared deeply about them, no matter how little you got to actually see each other.

Colfax could almost feel the suspicion wafting off the small figure on his desk; but he guessed that should be expected. Indeed, he was somewhat surprised he was already holding a conversation with the little guy. He wondered vaguely if Adrian had made as much progress yet, or if his charge was still resolutely silent. He raised an eyebrow when his small captive requested the name. He remembered Adrian calling the other little person by a name, and took a second to remember it. "I think he called him... Charlie. Though of course I didn't hear this from the little one himself; he wasn't much interested in talking."

Sawyer paled as his fears were confirmed. “No, I don’t imagine he would be,” he said quietly, more to himself than to Colfax really. Poor Charlie; of all the people to be injured and captured by humans, Charlie was the last person who deserved any of that. He was probably taking it worse than anybody else too- his parents had always been hard about that kind of thing. They were real traditionalists, always reminding their kids about the Code and stuff like that. Not that Sawyer didn’t think the Code was a good thing, he just didn’t see the point in terrorizing your children about it. Knowing Charlie he was probably in the middle of an existential crisis; that is, if he wasn’t injured too badly to even think.

“How bad was he?” Sawyer asked Colfax urgently, his concern for a friend overriding everything else. “How’d he get hurt? Is he… is he going to be okay?” Despite his fear of the human in front of him, at the moment Sawyer would have jumped into his hands willingly if it meant knowing that Charlie was okay. He and Charlie had been friends for years, they’d even moved into the neighborhood together. They were practically family, and humans or no humans, you always took care of your family.

Colfax narrowed his eyes almost imperceptibly in the changes he saw. The little person, jumpy and concerned for his own well-being moments before, now showed intense concern for another. The quickened breathing, the slight pitch change in his voice, and the eyes told him all he needed to know. Now he practically felt obligated to bring the little guy along when he went to check up on Adrian and Charlie again.

"Charlie had the one-in-a-million bad luck to fall into one of those 'humane' rodent traps and have it not work as designed. It broke his fibula and tibia – ah, leg bones, I mean – without shattering. The human who found him did his best to create a splint, but it didn't take well and the site developed a minor infection. He called me in to set the bone, and I gave him some antibiotics to take to ward off any further infection. I'm going to check on them both tomorrow to follow up." He explained it all very matter-of-factly, leaving little room to doubt his words.

He tilted his head then. "It occurs to me that you may worry what kind of care your friend is in; I can assure you that he will be safe with Adrian," he added as an afterthought; he wasn't fully sure why it came to him, but he wanted to make sure the little guy didn't panic over that.

The blood left Sawyer’s face completely as he listened to the tale, for the first time grateful for Colfax’s clinical manner. It sounded horrible, but at least it was taken care of now. Sawyer had seen all the time and effort Colfax had put into his work, and he knew that whatever he had done medically could only have helped Charlie. Still, it seemed the poor guy had a pretty rough day, no matter how safe he now was in the care of this human friend of Colfax’s. “Adrian huh,” he muttered to himself. The name was new, so Charlie’s old humans must have moved out recently. He hadn’t seen Charlie for a couple of months or so- if he had known, he would’ve invited the guy over to stay for a while and this may never have happened in the first place. No use second-guessing the past, though, not with a present so pressing.

The fact remained that Charlie was laid low with a nasty broken leg in the “care” of a human, and Sawyer was currently being held captive by another. The situation wasn’t exactly ideal to say the least. Only one good thing had come of this, and that was Colfax’s promise to take Sawyer along when he checked up on them the next morning- though what would happen between now and then was still distressingly unclear. “So, Colfax,” he said, standing up and looking up at the human determinedly. The successful answering of his questions about Charlie had given Sawyer quite a bit more confidence in talking to his captor. “You said we couldn’t go see Charlie until tomorrow. What exactly do you plan on doing until then?”

Colfax allowed himself to be impressed at how collected the little guy was. He wasn't calm, but he seemed to have his thoughts well in order. All things considered, that was quite a feat. He didn't, however, feel much alarm to discover that he knew his name. It only served to confirm his suspicion that the small person had lived in his walls for some time. He'd have to find out what that kind of existence entailed.

But the question... that did bring up a valid issue. He was now fully convinced of the personhood of these creatures. Charlie's refusal to speak had made him wonder; but the one standing before him was clearly cognizant on a level equal to humans. He had to weigh his options; this kind of academic chance would not come along again, he was certain. His eyes glanced once to his shelf, where an empty terrarium collected dust. He looked away quickly, taking a deep breath and raising one eyebrow faintly as he looked back at the brave little guy standing on his desk. He wouldn't admit it, but that had been a curveball, stumping him out of having an immediate answer.

Colfax seemed much less on top of things than before, which Sawyer read as a good thing. If he weren’t so convinced of his own notions than maybe, just maybe, he’d be open to a few of Sawyer’s. He continued his sudden spur of bravado, the stream of words acting both to cope with his fear and to capitalize on this sudden indecision of Colfax’s. “You didn’t really plan this out, did you?” he said coolly, raising an eyebrow at Colfax in return. The extended silence had already told him as much. 

Sawyer sighed, considering his words carefully before continuing. “Look, here’s the thing. You’re in over your head here. I get that you think you’re doin’ a good thing for human science or whatever, but believe me when I say that it ain’t goin’ to pan out like you think.” He paused for a moment, allowing Colfax to process this new opinion. “You don’t wanna get tangled up in this kind of mess,” he eventually said, softly but earnestly. Hopefully it was enough to spark some uncertainty in that carefully organized mind of Colfax’s. Sawyer had never been the most learned, but he knew what he knew and he could say it with confidence. What he knew was gained from lots of experience and a great deal of observation when it came to humans and their world. That was the one area in which he held the advantage over the human sitting before him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest most of Sawyer's bravery comes from him being scared. Backwards I know, but he just can't stop running his mouth when he gets nervous. It's an issue- though Colfax seems to be responding to it. The question is, how?


	9. Chapter 9

Colfax appreciated the little speech. It helped him get focused and collected again. A faint smile tickled the corner of his mouth. "On the contrary," he answered. "I planned it out before I was even certain you lived in my walls." He reached out and poked Sawyer squarely in the chest, the gesture smooth and quite gentle, really only meant to tease. From there he pointed to the tank on his shelf. "I was going to put you in that," he admitted, the matter-of-fact tone creeping back in.

"I suppose you're feeling pretty smart about now," he tilted his head, still a little amazed at who he was holding a conversation with. "Since Colfax is an open book, I won't bore you with the details on why I chose to study what I do. But I will tell you a little story. Most medical professionals these days have to make a lot of decisions without any input from their patients. Naturally that's all I have ever dealt with. Normally, this isn't a problem; I know most of the things I need to know about animals to be useful. Today I was faced with the terrifying reality of not knowing what to do at all. A million facts in my head and the best I can do is prescribe general-purpose antibiotics." He leaned back in his chair, the frustration finally showing itself for a few seconds in his eyes. But in a flash, he was neutral-faced again. "Human science, as you called it, is on the back burner. Though I'm certain that what you'd have to teach us is nothing short of amazing."

Sawyer staggered back as Colfax poked him, rubbing the spot on his chest resentfully. He paled completely, however, as the human pointed to the terrarium on the shelf and mentioned putting him in such an atrocity. With a touch and a few words Sawyer was harshly reminded of just who, and what, he was dealing with. This wasn’t just some guy he was talking to, it was a  _ human _ , a human who had captured him and didn’t seem keen on letting him go anytime soon. He couldn’t help but tremble a bit as Colfax continued, though he tried his damndest not to let it show. Needless to say he didn’t feel very smart at all; in fact he was beginning to feel very stupid indeed.

No wonder Charlie had opted to stay silent, at the moment Sawyer was beginning to regret anything ever coming out of his mouth. Apparently it had only served to exacerbate the issue, especially as Colfax had proceeded to ignore a great deal of what Sawyer had tried to make him understand. Though to be fair, at the moment Sawyer was feeling that he was the one in over his head rather than the other way around. It didn’t make his points any less valid but it did make them harder to propone. Still, he couldn’t help but let one more question slip out. “And what exactly do we have to teach you, huh?” he asked, thinking himself an idiot but pushing on anyways. “What could ‘animals’ like us possibly have to teach the great human race?” He said it in a controlled voice, one laced with bitterness and fear and, though he may not have known it himself, a bit of curiosity.

Colfax didn't notice the damage he'd done until the little guy was speaking again. His sharp eyes only caught the telltale shivers once he focused again. This hadn't been the time or place to vent about his frustration. He was reminded briefly about the reason he and Adrian didn't talk as much anymore- his cold demeanor was very taxing and he knew it. "I'm sorry." The words spilled out, so quickly that he almost surprised himself. But he didn't want to keep being an object of terror; he was just bad at explaining himself, this was why he chose veterinary science over becoming a doctor.

"I know that I'm not fun to talk to," he added, unsure of what to say next. In truth, the little fellow was more right than he knew. Colfax  _ didn't _ know what he'd be getting into. He lightly rubbed his temple, a habit he picked up for late-night studies for exams. "As for what you could teach, I'm guessing resourcefulness is the name of the game for your kind. That alone is something more humans need to learn. From my perspective, your size, intelligence, and proximity to humans seem too convenient to be a coincidence. It's impossible for me to know when our cultures separated, but I don't think your culture and mine were always kept from each other."

His scientific mind was winding up again, thinking of the many possible explanations out there. Explanations that he realized he might never have. "I'm sorry again... for speaking down to you like that." He averted his gaze, knowing the apology wouldn't be adequate, and pausing in the middle when he had trouble choosing words.

Not one, but two apologies stumbled out of Colfax’s mouth, and Sawyer looked up at him with unconcealed surprise. As well as he had thought he knew Colfax, he had never in a million years expected to hear him apologize- not to Sawyer. Not that he didn’t think an apology was warranted, he had just assumed Colfax saw him as a sort of lower being, not worth apologizing to. Apparently the human in the room was not the only one that needed to reevaluate his assumptions. “Ain’t much I can tell you about culture. I don’t know much about history myself,” he said gruffly, avoiding eye contact. 

Truth be told there wasn’t a whole lot of history to be known, at least not about his own ‘culture’ as Colfax termed it. What little remained had been passed down mostly as folk tales, or at least as far as Sawyer knew. He hadn’t ever really been interested in it himself. Besides, even if he knew the answers to all of these questions Colfax seemed to have, that didn’t mean he would just tell the human everything. He may not care about the Code as much as Charlie, but that didn’t mean he would just blatantly ignore it. The Code was what had kept their species safe for hundreds of years, the singular thing that they all shared and lived by. It was the only thing separating them from humanity, in many ways, and telling Colfax about his own people… well, that was way off limits. Heck, even talking to the guy wasn’t the best idea now that he thought about it, but as long as he kept his trap shut when it came to anything important it was probably fine. Hopefully.

Colfax nodded once at the explanation. It was something he had expected. He could tell that the little guy remained very guarded, and he would stay that way. He got a sudden sense of how stubborn such a species would have to be. The fact that they were still unknown to humans despite the leaps in technology said very flattering things about the small people. He wished to know more, but was beginning to realize that all of the methods of getting this information were morally wrong on some level.

"Right, well," he responded, finally looking back at Sawyer. "I do need to know if there's anything you have to tell me about Charlie that will affect his recovery." When in doubt, it was always good to return to a subject of equal or greater importance. He thought to add, "I'm not... trying to pry or whatever. Just, if your kind needs a specific diet or has some kind of intolerance to something, I need to know that if I am to be of any help." Speaking of diet, he remembered that this little person had been taking food when he found him. He wondered if that meant he'd need something as well.

Sawyer shook his head slowly, unable to think of anything. "Far as I know diet's the same," he said. He didn't see any harm in telling the human that, as it was a fairly innocent question and the answer wasn't exactly a state secret. "Anything y'all can eat we can eat. Charlie's got a mild peanut allergy but that's just him." Luckily it wasn't anything big, just something that could lay him low for a couple of days if he ate the wrong thing. Sawyer hadn't ever seen it be a problem before, Charlie did a pretty good job figuring out which foods he could and could not eat. 

Colfax nodded, interested to hear even the small information about the diet of this species. Naturally he'd always zeroed in on useful facts in his line of work. So far, aside from the obvious size considerations, these people had relatively few surprises as far as physiology went. He wondered if someday he would be able to find out about the culture, as well; Sawyer indicated that it was mainly an oral tradition, so it didn't seem likely that Colfax would be the one to ever hear it.

A growl erupted from Sawyer's stomach, making him wrap his arms around it and look up at Colfax with a grimace. "Speakin' of food, I don't suppose you have any dinner plans?" He asked it jokingly, but he really was hungry. After all, his earlier attempt at procuring dinner had been rather rudely interrupted by a certain human; and truth be told he hadn't had as much to eat before that as he would have liked. "We don't eat much compared to you humans, but we need to eat all the same." He hoped Colfax was going to be reasonable about it- it was so hard to tell how the human would react to things, and even harder to predict if the reaction would be within Sawyer's comfort level. Somehow he doubted it.

Colfax raised his eyebrows slightly to hear the faintest sound coming from the little person. At first he'd thought it was a low squeal of pain, but then the little guy's body language and half-joking question explained it all. "Dinner plans," he had to repeat the words, because they just sounded so foreign referring to him. It didn't show, but some of the little person's phrasings tickled him a bit. Then, after a very brief glance over the small man, he replied, "I can get you food, though I recommend more than a cracker. Your skin looks like you may be close to a vitamin A or C deficiency, do you get enough leafy vegetables to eat?" Colfax knew he kept such foods, but he wasn't entirely sure how much access there was to them. At least it didn't seem like there was an actual problem yet, and this was something that could be corrected easily.

Sawyer lit up at the mention of vegetables. Fresh produce of any kind was near impossible to get, as many of the fruits and vegetables were much too large and Colfax always kept them in the fridge anyways. He scavenged as much as he could outside, but it was a fairly urban neighborhood and there wasn’t much. “Probably not,” he replied glibly. He continued eagerly, the idea of fresh food sounding wonderful after a few days of stale leftovers. “What do you have? Did you buy spinach recently? I think you did, usually when you go to the really big grocery store you come back with salad stuff.” He really liked spinach- he’d only tried it a couple of times but he liked how strangely flavorful and bitter it was.

He wondered briefly why Colfax was being so accommodating all of a sudden; it seemed a strange contrast from his earlier insinuations. Still, Sawyer wasn’t about to complain, especially not now that it seemed fresh food would be involved. This also led him to wonder what Charlie’s new human was like. Was he like Colfax or completely different? Sawyer hoped that Charlie’s human was nice and was treating him well, the poor guy didn’t need any more trouble in that area.

With a sudden smile Sawyer shook his head slightly at the insanity of his own thoughts. Nice humans caring for someone like them? What was the world coming to…

It almost caught Colfax off guard, hearing just how much the little person knew of his shopping habits. But then, Colfax thought that maybe this guy had actually lived here longer than he had- a strange thought indeed. Coming to terms with that by itself would be interesting. "I actually did get spinach last time. You're welcome to it," he answered. In truth it was one of the only leafy things Colfax could stand to eat.

Since it was clearly time to get to the kitchen, Colfax scooted back from the desk. He started to reach for Sawyer, but then drew his hand back, looking at it pensively. He closed it in a loose fist, glancing back down at the small man once. He looked at his hand critically for a second or two before settling it on the edge of the desk, clenched tight. He turned his gaze back to the person standing on his desk. "You know, it's been years since something like this worried me, but... did it hurt you when I grabbed you earlier?" he asked. His tone invited an honest answer. Colfax may have been rough with words and feelings, but when it came to physical pain he loathed the thought of causing it.

A smile bloomed across Sawyer’s face as he heard there was spinach to eat, but it was quickly erased as he realized what getting to the kitchen would entail. Colfax reached for him and he flinched, shrinking back slightly and closing his eyes against the inevitable. It didn’t happen, however, and when he opened his eyes he saw the hand closed tightly at the edge of the desk and Colfax looking unusually concerned. Then Colfax asked the question that practically floored the smaller man. “Uh…” Sawyer said slowly, still in a bit of shock from the question and more than a little unsure of what kind of response he should give. Despite Colfax’s open tone Sawyer was still wary of causing an undesirable reaction from the human.

“No,” he eventually said, which was the truth in the end. “No, it didn’t hurt… though it wasn’t exactly  _ pleasant _ either.” He sort of mumbled the last part, but he couldn’t keep it in. Really what he wanted to say was that it was uncomfortable, terrifying, the worst experience of his life… the list went on. However he didn’t think it wise to say such things to Colfax; who knows how he would react. Still, he couldn’t just stay quiet, not if it meant going through such an ordeal again. He’d rather stay on the desk and starve than do that again, though he doubted he’d have much of a choice in the matter with Colfax around.

Colfax was able to gather some of the subtext in the tiny expressions he could glimpse. While he was relieved that he hadn't squeezed too hard or caused any hurt, the truth wasn't so great either. Naturally no creature would want to be caught in the grip of a larger creature, and Colfax got an understanding for some of the animals he worked with regularly that he hadn't had before. None of them had been able to put it into words like this little person had. "This is good to know," he replied. "I won't do that unless absolutely necessary." At this point, he reasoned, all of these reassuring words he was saying had a practical purpose; the last thing such a small heart needed was a reason to panic.

He opened his hand again and laid it palm up several inches from the small person. "Maybe this will work better. In any case it's a very short trip." The last sentence was said with a faint smile. A joke. Colfax had said something in jest. It was quite different from his usual sarcastic humor. He could only hope it was more reassurance tactics and it wasn't habit forming. He tilted his head. "The sooner you get the nutrients you need, the better." He was back to his usual matter-of-fact tone in a heartbeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Progress! (/◕ヮ◕)/ Colfax does have a heart!


	10. Chapter 10

Sawyer breathed a sigh of relief at Colfax’s assurances, and though the thought of stepping willingly into a human’s hands wasn’t exactly the greatest, it was far preferable to the grabbing that had happened before. At least this way he’d have something solid between his feet and the floor. He was just wondering how safe it would actually be when Colfax made a joke, effectively stopping his thought process completely. Unable to believe his ears he gaped up at the human, who had a faint smile on his face. Colfax, of all people, had said something funny- or, well, a great deal funnier than anything Sawyer had ever heard him say. Next the human would be watching sit-coms and having a girl over. It was over as quickly as it had happened, the human back to normal within the span of a few seconds. Sawyer shook his head slightly in disbelief, committing the incident to memory; lord knows it wasn’t likely to happen again.

Turning back to Colfax’s upturned hand he stared at it, his face screwed up in concentration. Though he didn’t exactly want to stay on the desk, the fact of the matter was he still didn’t trust Colfax. Every instinct he had, everything he had ever been taught, was telling him that placing his life quite literally into a human’s hands was an absolutely terrible idea. Logically, however, he knew he had no other choice. If he didn’t do this Colfax would certainly find a way to get him into the kitchen, and it was guaranteed to be less pleasant and respectful than this option was. Really Colfax was being much more understanding than Sawyer had ever expected, and he didn’t want to alienate him by refusing the offer. So the little person gathered his courage, muttered one last, “Screw it,” and all but stumbled into Colfax’s palm. Quickly sitting down, he hunched up his shoulders and closed his eyes in a failing attempt to fool himself into thinking he wasn’t doing exactly what he was.

Colfax waited patiently, barely moving at all. Patience, at least, was one of the better parts of his personality. And he could easily see how uncomfortable the little guy still was. Yet he still mustered up the courage to sit carefully in Colfax's palm, though in a curled up nervous ball. He placed his other hand near to help stabilize himself, and then stood. He turned and took the few steps into the kitchen area, his movements as steady as usual. He could hardly believe that his passenger was a tiny human-shaped creature.

A few seconds after the movement began, he was at his counter, his hand resting on the solid surface. A sudden thought came to him. "You know, that sort of thing may never happen for your friend Charlie. Not that he won't be able to walk onto anyone's hands, but I doubt Adrian will ever have the courage to do it. When I was there today it looked like their main method of transport was a little dust pan."

As Colfax walked into the kitchen Sawyer hardly dared to breathe, remaining tense and on edge until he felt the hand beneath him resting on a solid surface. He wasted no time in disembarking, scrambling quickly and ungracefully onto the blissfully familiar counter. Turning back to face Colfax he caught the end of the human’s musings, and despite himself a little laugh broke out of him. The comic image of Charlie riding around on a dustpan of all things paraded through his head, and though he doubted Charlie liked the idea very much he couldn’t help but smile at the thought. Although, it didn’t sound like the worst form of transportation ever- it at least avoided contact with human hands, an option which Sawyer really wished he had. There was something much too… invasive about so much contact, and it set every fiber of his being on edge. A dustpan though, that was something else. He’d have to ask Charlie about it when he saw him.

He was kind of curious about what Colfax had said concerning Charlie’s human, Adrian. So he asked, “What do you mean, Adrian wouldn’t have the courage to do it? I doubt he’s scared of Charlie.” The idea was ludicrous, nobody could be scared of Charlie. Even grasshoppers weren’t scared of Charlie, and those idiots were scared of everything. It was hard for Sawyer to fathom the idea that a human could lack the courage for anything when it came to people like he and Charlie.

Colfax caught sight of the smile, and was somewhat relieved. He had been somewhat worried that the nerves from the short trip would last longer. He took a moment to retrieve the bag of spinach from the fridge while the little guy seemed to muse about what he described. He set it down when the little voice piped up with a question, though. He mulled it over before answering, deciding that in the long run this information could be useful. "Well, he doesn't like to make physical contact with other people. I don't know if it's obsessive-compulsive disorder, or if it's something else." Goodness knew that it was the only reason Colfax had avoided getting punched for saying something stupid in the course of their friendship.

Ah, that would explain it- it wasn’t just where Charlie was concerned, it was with everybody. Well, that was actually probably a lifesaver for Charlie, a human had to be more manageable if they weren’t all touchy when you didn’t want them to be (e.g. always). He would definitely be interested in meeting Adrian tomorrow, as what little Colfax had described of his friend had piqued Sawyer’s curiosity. It sounded like he and Colfax were pretty different, and he briefly wondered how they had become friends in the first place. After all, it wasn’t like Colfax had a personality naturally conducive to making friends; he had all of five people in his contacts list who weren’t professors, and the only person who Sawyer had ever seen come to the house was Colfax’s mother. Seeing as Colfax seemed to be in a rather talkative mood already, Sawyer went ahead and asked. “How did y’all end up as friends? From how it sounds he’s a fair bit different than you.”

Colfax returned to preparing food even before the question was asked. As he portioned off part of a spinach leaf and a sliver of apple (which he guessed the little guy didn't get very often either), he thought back. He had known Adrian for most of their college careers. "His high school friend introduced us during his first week of college. How we became friends is mostly due to perseverance on his part after that." He added a small sliver of cheese for dairy, and then pushed the small plate along the counter towards the little person, stopping it a few inches away so he would accidentally mow him down or something. "I certainly wasn't any nicer to talk to then than I am now," he admitted.

The plate slid towards him and Sawyer watched it warily, relaxing only when it stopped a few inches away from him. He pulled it the remaining distance so that the upturned lip rested above his crossed legs like a table. "Thanks!" he said, looking eagerly at the spread before him. It was fresher food than he'd had in ages, that was sure. With a mouth full of spinach and the rest in his hand he said, "So y'all met in college huh? He a vet like you?" He looked up at Colfax curiously, still chewing vigorously. The more he knew about the human Charlie was with the better he felt, and besides- the more questions Colfax answered for him the more he felt like he was beating the human at his own game.

Colfax watched as the smaller man quickly set up the small plate, which was still overlarge for him, as a makeshift table. The use of the dish in such a way happened so quickly that Colfax had to wonder if this kind of resourcefulness was almost a reflex for these people, trained into them early on to ensure survival. He learned a lot about what their behavior patterns must be like just by observing. He had to smirk at the thought of Adrian trying to be a vet, though. "Architect. Just got his degree. He's the right kind of meticulous for that." In fact, given Adrian's notorious attention to detail, Colfax thought that even if he hadn't trapped a little person within his first hour, he'd have found him out quickly enough anyway.

His mouth still full of food Sawyer nodded, taking in the information cheerfully. Architect made sense given what he'd heard about Adrian so far. It sounded like the human was a quiet type, not one to cause trouble; that boded well for Charlie, as he was quite the same. Honestly Sawyer wouldn't be surprised if those two were actually having a semi-decent time together. He froze mid-chew as the next thought hit him- he and Colfax were actually having a semi-decent time together. What could the world be coming to?

"So," he continued, swallowing and quickly jumping to another train of thought before the last one could become too pressing. "What are we going to do tonight? You never have guests over so I'm not sure what to expect." He said this glibly, hiding his very real concern beneath a thick layer of humor and snide remarks. Pushing away the now-empty plate he looked up at Colfax, the nervous tapping of his fingers giving him away.

Colfax actually had to suppress a bout of snickering. "You live in the walls, I don't know if that qualifies you as a guest." What it  _ did _ qualify him as, Colfax couldn't be 100% sure. And as far as discovering a little person living in his apartment went, a lot of the novelty was already wearing off. Colfax had learned a lot already; he could save his questions for another time. Hopefully someone would be around to answer them. He finally noticed the nervous fidgeting and thought he should address it. "I'm not going to hold you prisoner," he said evenly, "though I would like one bit of information before you go off and do whatever it is you people do in your spare time."

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?” Sawyer asked, genuinely curious. He was also wondering if this meant he would be free to go back to his rooms after they were done talking, though he wasn’t about to get his hopes up. Truth be told Colfax would be a lot stupider than Sawyer thought if he did that, at least as far as the human’s goals were concerned. It didn’t matter how strangely nice the human may have acted lately, if Sawyer got the chance to escape he wasn’t coming back. It was practically his obligation. He’d still be paying Charlie a visit of course, but he’d be doing it on his own, and then they would be moving far away as soon as possible. It was the only logical course of action given such circumstances. That is, if Colfax let him go like he seemed to be promising; and given their history Sawyer thought that was a decently big “if”.

"What they call you," Colfax replied without missing a beat. He wondered vaguely if having the little guy's name would even matter. He was unlikely to see him again after this, considering the very bad first impression. For Colfax, that was par for the course. The only reason it could bother him this time was the missed scientific opportunity. But he knew that if he kept this person against his will, that Adrian would obviously find out. And, despite his reservations about touch, the guy would probably be mad enough to hit him. Even so, it was rare for Colfax to do something so directly against his own interests that he could hardly feel like a scientist for it. "Seems only fair."

Sawyer was taken aback, and didn't even attempt to hide the shock from his face. Not only was it an unexpected show of interest from Colfax, it also seemed strange to him that the human didn't already know his name. He had rather forgotten that, while he had years of objective experience knowing Colfax, the same could certainly not be said for the human. "Sawyer," he eventually replied, looking up at Colfax with a lopsided grin. "The name's Sawyer." Then, without allowing himself to think about what he was doing, he stuck out his hand and said, "Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Colfax expected resistance. He expected the little person, Sawyer, to fidget nervously again when asked about ways to personally identify him. Instead, Colfax got an almost-immediate answer and even a smile. Needless to say, it was his turn to be taken aback. His surprise was so great that it actually showed on his face for a second. He recovered quickly, adopting a more bemused mask instead. "Nice to meet you too, Sawyer," he replied. Then, he slowly reached down and gently took the tiny hand in his thumb and forefinger for a brief “handshake”. That done, he drew his hand back and crossed his arms with a shrug. "I guess that's that then," he said quietly. "I'm guessing you'll be disappearing now. If you need to leave a message warning about what a terrible human lives here, I can get you paper." It was still astounding that he was letting such a big opportunity literally walk away; when in doubt, sarcasm always worked to ease a troubled mind.

The “handshake”, as it were, felt very strange, but Sawyer bore through with it- after all, he had been the crazy one to initiate it in the first place. "Paper won't be necessary," he said as he stood up. It was the only thing that could come out of his mouth at first, as he was still astounded that Colfax was actually letting him leave- and not expecting him to return either. The experience definitely hadn't been what he had expected, at least not towards the end. It was enough to make his head spin if he thought about it too much. "I, uh, I guess I'll be going then," he said with a nervous smile, a small part of him still waiting for the rug to be yanked out from underneath him. "Bye." With that he turned and started walking towards the nearest entrance into the walls, which was behind the toaster. His heart was pounding and he told himself to not look back. He didn't think he would be able to relax until he was back safely in his rooms; he didn't think he was  _ ever _ going to relax after what had happened. What had just happened?

Colfax watched him go with mild interest. He had missed the entrance by the toaster; oh well. He didn't say anything, noting the tenseness in the little person's stride. He was like a string pulled taut, one startling motion and he might bolt completely. When Sawyer was out of sight, Colfax left the kitchen quickly, not even bothering to put the food away yet. He sat at his desk and pulled one of his books toward him, resigning himself to working on his paper, though he didn't have much heart for it after all that had just happened. He rubbed his eyes, trying to focus on the printed words, but ended up putting his head down on the book with a dull  _ thunk _ . "That just happened," he muttered to himself. He wondered how Charlie would react to hear that Colfax had met his friend. Then, Colfax imagined Sawyer meeting Adrian, and offering to shake his hand too. Now  _ that _ would have been amusing.

As Sawyer made his way through the tunnels in the wall his mind was racing. Colfax had just let him go, and that fact alone made it feel as if his whole world was crumbling to pieces around him. Suddenly he was second-guessing anything he had ever thought to be true, all of the knowledge his life was built upon. He felt lost. Nobody had ever told him what he was supposed to do after a human caught you  _ and let you go again _ . Nowhere in the Code was a contingency plan for this. His first instinct had been to flee, but now he was wondering about that as well. Since he wasn't in any real danger anymore, was his obligation to stay and watch Colfax, to make sure he didn't do anything with the new knowledge he had? After all, if he told the wrong people it could be disastrous for everybody... 

Sawyer groaned in frustration, kneading his forehead with a grimace. This was all much too complicated to figure out, but it wasn't like there was somebody he could report it to. He was on his own with a big decision to make; one that could end disastrously for his entire species if he got it wrong, or so it seemed. Then there was Charlie to worry about. "I'll stick around for a couple of days, just to make sure Colfax doesn't do anything rash and to figure out what to do with Charlie," he said aloud as he walked through his kitchen, trying to sound confident but not even fooling himself. With a groan he walked into his bedroom and flopped face first onto his bed. Maybe after a nap things would seem clearer, though he seriously doubted it.

After nearly half an hour of sitting there almost motionless, Colfax had processed the things he needed to process. He sat up, brushing the page of his book off after it had stuck to his face. He picked up a pencil to start taking some useful notes. This was his usual routine anyway. Work the night away, other obligations forgotten for a while. Eventually, he became tired enough that he sluggishly shuffled out of his chair and onto the carpeted floor. He reached up and dragged a throw pillow from his couch down, and laid right on the floor in his living room. This was also not unusual for Colfax.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Sawyer's off the hook! The question is, can he stay that way? (Knowing us, probably not. >< )


	11. Chapter 11

What had started out as just a nap turned into sleeping through the night, and as Sawyer woke up the next morning he found himself severely disoriented and slightly chilled from sleeping on top of the blankets. Blearily he looked over at the cheap plastic wristwatch hanging on the wall, which told him it was almost seven AM. With a yawn he sat up, memories of the day before coming back to him in bits and pieces. Unfortunately it made just as much sense after sleeping as before, which was to say, close to none at all.

Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed he stood up with a grimace, stretching out his stiff muscles as his mind ran over what he would need to go visit Charlie. Though they lived in the same neighborhood it was still a solid two-day trip by foot, and that was forgoing any unpredictable delays. There were a surprising number of animals prowling about for an almost urban neighborhood, and almost all of them were dangerous. It was going to be unpleasant at best, and if Charlie weren't so hurt he'd leave it off until a better time.

Sawyer was reaching for his trusty knapsack when a dangerous idea stole into his mind, making him pause. What if he just went with Colfax? The human was going over there today anyways after all, and it was only a short trip for him- less than half an hour he would guess. It would save so much time and effort, and after all, the human had let him go the day before...

"Ooh, I'm probably gonna regret this," Sawyer muttered to himself, before leaving his room and setting off through the walls.

Colfax awoke about five hours later, after an angry twinge in his stomach announced that it was breakfast time. He blinked blearily and pushed himself up from the floor, yawning widely. He stood and shuffled into the bathroom to take a quick wake-up shower. He brushed his teeth, washed his face, and grabbed fresh clothes from the hamper near the door. All of this was nearly automatic; he couldn't count as awake until he'd had his morning coffee.

In the kitchen, he set the coffee maker to brewing, and poured a quick bowl of cereal. Colfax finally noticed that he'd left the food out the night before. Inspecting it, the apple and the spinach seemed to be in good enough shape. He put those away in the fridge. The cheese, though... he decided not to risk it and tossed it in the bin. At that point, his coffee was done, so he poured himself a mug and set it next to the sink. Colfax glanced once at his tiny card table, noting the clutter of books and folders. With a shrug, he held up the bowl of cereal to eat at the sink, taking one sip of piping-hot coffee first.

_ I wonder if I should call ahead or just surprise Adrian this morning, _ he thought to himself.

Colfax was standing at the sink in his usual morning routine, eating his cereal standing up and drinking copious amounts of coffee. Sawyer briefly considered his options; he then realized that surprising the human was practically his only option and just went for it. Walking into the small cabinet above the sink he gave the door a huge push, hoping it wouldn’t swing open and hit Colfax in the face- that would be a bad way to start a conversation, especially one in which Sawyer planned to ask a favor

As it was the door barely opened, leaving only the space of a couple inches. Of course, that was still enough space to let Sawyer fall through it as his momentum carried him forward and he lost his balance. He scrabbled for a hold but found none on the smooth inside of the door, and with a short yell fell out of the cupboard completely. His fall was cut short as he landed square in the middle of Colfax’s cereal bowl, splattering milk and cereal everywhere and completely dousing himself in the process. He reemerged with a splutter, wiping milk out of his eyes and gradually assuring himself that he was, in fact, still alive after such a heart-stopping plunge.

Colfax was still tired enough that he didn't notice the cupboard door opening a few inches right in front of him. He did, however, notice when a shape fell right into his cereal, creating a splash as whatever it was flailed in the air. Colfax choked a bit and almost dropped the bowl, catching it in time to see none other than Sawyer – a drenched and sputtering Sawyer – emerge. He set the bowl down carefully on the counter, suppressing further coughs before asking, "Off to a great start, are we?" He was briefly amazed that the little guy was still here, but questions could come after he got properly cleaned up. Not knowing whether the sides of the bowl would be too slick or steep and not wanting to waste time, Colfax reached in and fished the poor fellow out by the back of his shirt. He set him down on the counter within seconds and muttered "Sorry." He downed a quick swig of coffee, feeling the pounding of his heart from the scare.

The motion of the bowl being almost dropped and then set down nearly submerged Sawyer again, but he managed to keep his head above water – or, milk – this time. His heart leapt to his throat as he was lifted out by his shirt, but once his feet were back on solid ground he managed a small, “Thanks.” His heart was pounding madly as he dripped onto the counter, the milk becoming sticky wherever it had dried even the littlest bit. Looking up to see Colfax taking a fortifying drink of coffee he guessed the human had been just as surprised as he had been. “Sorry for just, ah, droppin’ in like that,” he said, as usual using bad humor to cover up his own nerves. That had certainly not gone as planned. He shook his dripping hair, little droplets of milk flying everywhere in the process. Sawyer had always wanted to try milk with cereal, but definitely not like this. What a way to start a morning.

Colfax, recovering from the shock after a few seconds, set his mug down in the sink. He quickly put the bowl in the sink as well, contemplating the best way to get Sawyer clean. He figured a paper towel just wouldn't cut it. He allowed himself to snicker at the poor guy's joke. "Honestly, if you were going for the element of surprise, you couldn't have done it better." Looking thoughtfully at the other side of his divided sink, Colfax came up with an idea. He moved the faucet over, and turned on the water. He fiddled with temperature and pressure before looking back to Sawyer. "You might want to rinse off before you attract bugs." He noted the sheer sides of the sink, and cautiously offered a hand. "I can help you into the sink. I'll grab a towel so you can dry off." Honestly, he hoped the dairy product wouldn’t ruin the little guy’s clothes, because fashioning more couldn't be easy. A rinse would help sooner rather than later.

It wasn’t as if Sawyer could argue about needing to get clean, but all the same he was giving the sink a wary look. The sides were deep and slick and the drain, though grated, was still gaping enough to allow his foot to slip through. Really the sink was one of the only places in the house he meticulously avoided. Colfax had offered to help, but even that rubbed Sawyer the wrong way- he wasn’t exactly used to relying on others. Unfortunately he didn’t really seem to have a choice, not if he wanted to salvage some of the few clothes he owned; not to mention what little was left of his dignity. Mustering up his courage he stepped onto Colfax’s hand, his heart pounding even faster if that was possible. He didn’t think that particular action would get easier any time soon, and honestly he hoped it wouldn’t. His life was already complicated enough without adding “being comfortable around humans” to the mix- well, more than had already happened.

Colfax couldn't make out Sawyer's expressions as well in his current state, but he couldn't imagine that anybody in this situation wouldn't be embarrassed. He was patient, even ready for the possibility that the little guy would refuse and return to his hiding place in the walls. But when he stepped willingly onto his hand, Colfax had to appreciate the courage it took. He double-checked that the water wasn't pouring into the drain directly before lowering his passenger into the sink. "What a story this will make. I doubt many of the little people have pulled a stunt like that." He grabbed a dry hand towel from the drawer, trying to imagine finding himself in that situation.

“You’d be surprised,” Sawyer said, practically yelling over the roar of the falling water. The stories he had heard… He reached out towards the stream as if it were going to lunge out and bite him, but he found it warm and rather more gentle than he imagined. “And we’re not  _ little _ ,” he added with a scowl, before taking a breath and plunging headfirst into the water.

Everything was in comparison, as humans consistently failed to take into account. Even Colfax, who now knew that humans weren’t alone in the world, was acting like they were the center of everything. It was annoying. Sure, Sawyer and his kind were smaller than a good deal of things in the world, but so were humans. Size in no way indicated superiority, or importance, or anything at all really; except power. Which was why people like Sawyer and Charlie had to stay hidden for as long as anybody could remember- people the size of humans were dangerous, even when they didn’t mean to be, just because of their size. It was something that Sawyer felt he should remind himself of more often.

Colfax paused in his thoughts, derailed by Sawyer's words. It sounded like maybe he had struck a nerve. True, he had thought of Sawyer all this time as "little". But of course, from the perspective of someone like Charlie or Sawyer, they were normal sized and the humans were big beyond belief. It was an interesting thing to think about. "Hmm. I didn't mean anything by it." He leaned on his elbow next to the sink, his eyes facing forward, unfocused. The towel hung from his other hand over the edge of the sink, almost reaching the bottom. "What should I call your kind, then? Forgive me, but I am a scientist and we prefer to have names for things when we can." Indeed, most of Colfax's career would depend upon being able to categorize everything he dealt with.

Once he was completely soaked to the skin, but thankfully clean again, Sawyer stepped out of the water and shook as much as he could off. “Viri,” he replied automatically in answer to the question, noticing the towel hanging over the edge. Taking advantage of the opportunity to avoid further physical contact with Colfax he grabbed a handful and started climbing. He was more than halfway up when he realized the terrible error in judgment he had just made. Scrambling quickly up the rest of the towel he stood at the edge of the sink, closer to Colfax than he would normally like to be but not noticing the fact due to his rising alarm. “But you can’t tell anybody that!” he hastily added, the panic making his voice rise in pitch slightly. “I mean nobody! Ever!” 

He should never have let something like that slip in the first place- it was one thing to tell a human his name, but the name of their species? Of everybody? That was dangerous even in the right hands, and it was something that should never have been placed in human hands in the first place. Oh man, was he in deep trouble. He couldn’t believe he had slipped up that badly. This whole thing was such a bad idea, how had he ever convinced himself that this could work? Charlie was going to kill him when he found out what he’d done; and at the moment Sawyer didn’t exactly feel like arguing otherwise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sawyer takes a chance and ends up with more shenanigans than he bargained for. Somehow, I doubt the rest of the day is going to be any different...


	12. Chapter 12

Colfax logged the name away immediately. Already he was applying it to Sawyer, and to Charlie. He absorbed names very quickly like that. His thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly heard a frantic voice almost right next to him. He stood up straight and took a small step back from the counter, leaving the towel there for Sawyer's benefit. A smirk found its way onto his face. The viri's alarm was a bit amusing. Who exactly would he tell? Colfax held up a hand in a calming gesture. "I'm not going to broadcast this information." The sight was truly something to behold. A panicked, sopping-wet, humanoid being only a few inches tall stood fretting on his counter. "Don't lose sleep over that one."

Easier said than done, but some assurance was certainly better than none at all. “You… you better not,” Sawyer stammered, the threat completely empty of course, but feeling like he needed to say something anyways. He started shivering, the change in temperature chilling every part of his sopping wet form. Well, that and he was still pretty shaken from defying every lesson he had ever been taught. Something like that was bound to rattle a guy’s nerves. Despite Colfax’s attempts at keeping him calm he was anything but. How could he be after what he’d done? He felt like a traitor. The one thing that he was glad of was that they would be going to see Charlie soon; he needed to talk this over with somebody, somebody that would actually understand. Somebody he could confess to and be forgiven by, though it might take a while. 

Colfax scratched his head, noticing some of Sawyer's distress but unsure of how to help. Finally he reached over and turned the water off, throwing the room into silence. When he saw that Sawyer still shivered there, he picked up the towel and moved it closer to him. "Here, you can get dry if you want." He could tell that the poor guy was dealing with a lot all at once. Colfax just couldn't tell what he was worried about at the moment, not knowing anything about the codes of behavior among the viri. Finally, after several more seconds of silence, Colfax cleared his throat and asked "So, was this a complete accident, or were you trying to get my attention just now?"

"No, no accident," Sawyer said, grabbing the edge of the towel and wrapping it around himself like a blanket. "I was going to ask if I could catch a ride with you over to Charlie's- uh, Adrian's." He paused midway through drying his hair, newly cognizant of what he was asking and who he was asking it from. "I mean, since you're already going over there and all," he quickly added, not wanting to overstep his bounds. "I just thought, since yesterday you said you were planning on taking me anyways, that maybe I could tag along?" He said the last part as a question, looking up at Colfax with a nervously hopeful expression.

He couldn't say he didn't suspect this. Judging by the distance to Adrian's apartment, a very short drive for Colfax would be quite a trek for Sawyer. A trek that long wasn't safe for a person of any size if the wrong obstacles presented themselves. Colfax was just surprised to be hearing such a request after solidly terrorizing the guy less than twenty-four hours ago. What that meant, Colfax couldn't say for sure. "Uh, sure, Sawyer," he answered slowly, cocking an eyebrow. He stooped to be closer to eye level with the counter top. "How exactly do you want that to happen?" Colfax could think of a number of perfectly safe ways to transport him in relative comfort. He had a few cases for the purpose of carrying small animals that would fit a viri just fine, but Colfax was almost certain that Sawyer would never agree to them. He waited for an answer, hoping to hear a suitable compromise.

Colfax bent down so that he was at a more even level with Sawyer, who stared across at him with wide eyes. As the question was posed Sawyer flushed slightly, for what reasons he himself couldn't rightly say. "To be honest I hadn't really thought through that part," he mumbled, avoiding eye contact with the human as he thought. A few options sprang to mind, not one of them preferable. The problem was there was just no way to go with Colfax that avoided making physical contact with him, or at least no way that didn't involve a cage of some kind. Sawyer certainly wasn't that desperate. Which really left no other choice than being somewhere on Colfax’s person, as weird and unnatural as that sounded. “Maybe I could just sit up on your shoulder?” he offered with a wince, still unsure if this was a good idea but without any better ideas. At least this way he wouldn’t be enclosed somewhere or held in Colfax’s hands, so really it was the best option he had.

Colfax thought about the answer for a few seconds. It sounded like it might be the most comfortable option for Sawyer, but he did worry about safety. If something happened to knock him down, Colfax could probably catch him in time, but he couldn't ensure the fall wouldn't still hurt him. He would just have to be on high alert. "If you think that's best, I can put up my collar so you've something to hold onto. Can you be sure that you won't be seen?" In truth, that wasn't as much of a worry; Colfax walked with purpose and generally nobody had reason to look at him too closely. He was rather tall even for a human, however, and he wondered if Sawyer would be okay with that kind of vantage point.

Sawyer considered that for a few moments, his fingers picking at the edge of the towel absentmindedly. It was a fair point- after all, the last thing he needed was to be the cause of even more humans knowing that viri existed. Still, he didn't like the idea of traveling in some pocket or cage- he just didn't think he could bring himself to do it. So with a confidence he didn't exactly feel he said, "As long as your collar is up we should be fine. I'll be careful." He gave Colfax what he hoped was a reassuring smile. If he were honest a part of him still wanted to back away from this whole idea and travel the normal way- but Charlie was hurt, Colfax was willing, and Sawyer wanted to waste no time in going to see his friend. After all, they both had a lot to catch up on together.

Colfax took a breath and nodded. At least it was relatively early in the morning. There wouldn't be that many people out to see the viri on his shoulder anyway. Or the stupid fashion statement a popped collar would make. God, he might as well put on a sideways cap. But it was a necessary evil if he didn't want to freak Sawyer out again. That would ultimately only result in Adrian being moody at him. He reached up to turn up the collar on his shirt before turning where he knelt so that his shoulder was right next to the counter. "Alright. It's a short trip in any case. Be careful."

"Okay..." Sawyer said hesitantly, looking rather fearful at the prospect. Ditching the towel (he was mostly dry by now anyways) he stepped carefully up to the edge of the counter against which Colfax was resting his shoulder. "This is the weirdest thing I've ever done," he whispered to himself, taking a seat on the human's shoulder and reaching up to grab his collar for balance. He sat in the small space between the collar and Colfax's neck, which felt warm against his still cool (and slightly damp) skin. He could feel the human's pulse, hear his breathing, everything was  _ right there _ . Needless to say it was a strange experience for him. He hadn't ever been this incredibly close to a human before; it was exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time. "Alright," he said with a nervous swallow, one hand clutching the upturned collar and the other resting on Colfax's neck so that he wouldn't fall off. "I'm ready." He wasn't, but he said it anyways.

_ Cold, _ was the first thing Colfax thought as soon as Sawyer was settled in. But, to his credit, he barely reacted, only clenching his jaw for a split second before relaxing.  _ You and me both, _ he thought when he caught the quiet whisper thanks to how close he was. He waited a second to make sure Sawyer really was in place before straightening steadily. He went to the door, grabbing his keys. He paused with his hand on the doorknob before steeling himself and heading outside.

As Colfax stood up Sawyer's stomach felt like it hit rock bottom, and the motion sent him lurching into the human's neck. He quickly straightened himself, his hand clutching the collar white-knuckled and tight. The viri couldn't help but gape open-mouthed at everything as they walked by. Sitting up on Colfax's shoulder gave him a viewpoint from human height, something he had never had before. It was exciting, and interesting, but also weird- he felt oddly big and yet unpleasantly small all at the same time. Luckily there didn't really seem to be anyone around, though Sawyer kept his head down just in case. There was no such thing as too careful when humans were concerned.

Colfax stopped himself from glancing around suspiciously every couple steps as he exited the building. He walked like he normally did, with a straight posture and a purposeful directness. Soon he was seated in his car and he released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding in. "See. Easy," he muttered as he started the drive several blocks to Adrian's apartment building. A thought hit him as he drove. "Ever been in a car before?" he asked curiously, still trying to keep his voice low.

A jolt of surprise had gone through Sawyer as he realized Colfax was headed to a car, and he looked on with interest and awe as they slid into it. It wasn't exactly how he'd imagined it would be on the inside- it was cooler. He was staring open-mouthed at everything when Colfax spoke, making him jump to hear the human's voice so close. While normally deep, it was made even deeper by the fact that Sawyer  _ felt _ it more than heard it. "No, I haven't," he said in reply, looking on in amazement as they pulled out of the parking lot. He leaned forward eagerly, his eyes shining. "It's so smooth!" he exclaimed with delight. "And it goes so fast!"

Colfax actually felt a smile trying to spread across his face. He regained control of his face quickly enough, but Sawyer's utter amazement at the vehicle reminded him of a kid at a carnival. Once again he was hit with the perspective that many of the things he and Adrian took for granted would be beyond the reach of the majority of these people. It almost made him feel philosophical.

As he pulled into a parking spot in front of Adrian's new building, he glanced around the street to make sure nobody was walking around. Then, he stepped out of the car, shutting the door and heading for the building in a brisk walk. "So, I didn't specifically tell Adrian I was coming back so soon. Should be fun to see him run around trying to prepare for the idea of having guests," he muttered, barely moving his mouth as he walked. Honestly, he did like to tease Adrian sometimes; the guy made it so easy. He stopped at the door, raising a hand to knock. "Here goes nothing."

Sawyer swallowed nervously at the idea of meeting another human, though he had to admit he was curious to finally see the guy Colfax had talked so much about. Speaking of reactions, he wondered how Charlie was going to react to him arriving like he did. Wouldn't that be a long story to tell. Colfax raised a hand to knock and Sawyer clutched anxiously at the collar next to him, steeling himself for what would inevitably be a turbulent few minutes. Here goes nothing indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two viri and two humans in one house... how is this going to work? XD
> 
> Fun fact: I didn't actually choose the name 'viri' randomly. Go check out google translate if you're curious. (I'm not actually as creative as I seem. :P)


	13. Chapter 13

Adrian woke slowly, blinking his pale eyes sluggishly. He was on the recliner in his living room, a book lying face down on his stomach. Lucky nobody else was there- he'd be beyond embarrassed if someone had known he nodded off in the chair. At least today he had an excuse. There were no sheets on his bed yet. He stood with a yawn and went to the kitchen.

After he splashed his face with water and started to make toast, Adrian's memory of the previous day came back to him. He had left Charlie on the dresser to rest more. He abandoned his breakfast to walk down the hall, pausing at the door. Would he still be there? Was he even awake by now? He compromised by opening the door only a couple of inches to peek in.

The bright morning light coming through the not-as-yet-curtained window in Adrian’s room woke Charlie up, and as he struggled back to consciousness he was more than a bit disoriented. He was actually wondering if he had left the lights on in his room, and why his bed was suddenly comfortable, when he opened up his eyes and everything came flooding back to him. Of course, he wasn’t actually in his room, but Adrian’s- still on top of the dresser, still wrapped snugly in a dishtowel of all things, and still with a broken leg. The limb in question was throbbing painfully, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle. After getting it set the pain hadn’t ever reached the unbearable levels it had the morning before.

With a large yawn he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and taking a look around. Adrian wasn’t in the room, and judging by the fact that the bed was still just a bare mattress he didn’t seem to have slept in there at all. Charlie frowned, mulling this over. Hopefully he hadn’t slept somewhere less comfortable because of Charlie- that would be pretty poor repayment for all the human’s help. Then the door creaked softly, causing Charlie to glance over at it and see Adrian peeking in. Charlie gave him a welcoming smile and a small wave, both to say “good morning” and show that he was free to come into the room.

Adrian was quite relieved to see Charlie still there. He wasn't sure what he'd do if it all turned out to be some intense dream or something. Or if Charlie had managed to take off in the night, he could never be sure if he made it okay. He entered the room with a faint smile and approached the dresser. It looked like his guest was only just waking up as well. With a glance at the window, Adrian understood why; it was very bright in the room. He'd have to get the curtains up soon.

"Ah, good morning, Charlie," he greeted. "Did you sleep well? I hope your leg isn't bothering you too much." As he arrived next to the bulky piece of furniture, he couldn't help but make a glance at Charlie's leg in its splint.  _ I did that, _ he thought briefly. Instead of lingering on that, he put on a warm smile. "Do you need breakfast? Or some medicine? Or, I guess, both?"

Charlie nodded eagerly at the last part, thinking both sounded equally appealing. Despite his large dinner the night before he felt all hollow inside; healing was really doing a number on his appetite. Some medicine wouldn’t be out of order either. His leg did still hurt pretty bad- not enough to worry Adrian about though. The human was already being more than helpful for Charlie, and he didn’t want him to think otherwise. Another yawn interrupted him, and he had to scrunch his eyes closed for a moment before shaking his head a bit to clear the sleep out. 

With a hand he pulled off the part of the towel that was on top of him, a little warm now that he was awake and up. He looked down at his clothes with distaste- they were rumpled beyond belief, looking quite worse for the wear, and the pant leg which had been cut to set the bone was practically in tatters. A nice hot shower and a change of clothes would be delightful, but that didn’t seem likely any time soon. He didn’t even know if he could get this splint wet, and that was ignoring the impossibility of getting back to his rooms on that leg. Oh well; there were worse things in life than forgoing a shower for a day or two. Like, say, just about everything that had happened to him the day before.

Adrian turned his head to yawn briefly when Charlie did. It was contagious, apparently, and the early morning hour probably didn't help. He managed to mask the fact, though, and turned back before Charlie was even finished shaking the motion off. When the towel was pushed aside, Adrian suddenly wondered if Charlie had been too warm in the night. Would that make a difference with his injury? He'd have to ask Colfax later whether there was a specific temperature he should keep the room.

The medicine bottle was the easiest course of action, as it rested on the other side of the dresser where he'd left it. He repeated the steps of before, pouring some of the treated water into the cap. "Here's the medicine," he muttered as he set it next to Charlie, knowing that if he tried to hand it to him he would likely just fumble it. "As for breakfast, did you, uh, want me to bring that in here, or did you want to go into the kitchen?" 

Charlie took the bottle cap and drank the medicine in even gulps, mulling over the question. On the one hand he was kind of tired of staying in the same place for so long, but on the other he didn’t feel up to the challenge of managing transport again. Eventually he decided that moving just wasn’t worth it with his leg, and he communicated his decision by patting the wood of the dresser beside him. The action made him smile; if Adrian were viri-sized it would seem like an invitation to sit down next to him, but obviously that wasn’t an option.

Still, it made him wonder- if he and Adrian were the same size, would they be friends? Charlie would like to think so. Adrian had been very nice so far, and Charlie had so few friends. It was such a shame that he had to be human, it made everything so unpleasantly complicated. He shook his head slightly, too slightly for Adrian to notice, and shook the thoughts away. The morning was still much too early to be considering such upsetting things.

Adrian nodded when he saw Charlie's response, and smiled faintly, understanding the meaning. In truth, he was immensely glad for that answer, too. In Charlie's condition, the alternative meant that Adrian would probably have to help him get to the kitchen. No good; Charlie may not have been human, but physical contact still made Adrian twitch a little. Apparently his compulsion didn't care about the size of a person. "Sounds good," he said. "I'll go get something together, be right back." He turned to leave the room, not bothering to close the door on his way out. It wasn't like he was going to be making a bunch of noise.

When he reached the kitchen, he had to rush to save his forgotten toast. It was almost black on both sides... ruined. He frowned, tossing the hard-as-a-rock piece of bread in the trash. He put another untoasted piece of bread on his plate and went to the fridge to get some butter for it. The can of peaches was still there; he might as well use that again. He set both of the containers on the counter, but was interrupted from retrieving a spreading knife by the sound of a knock on his door. With a frown and a glance at his wall clock, Adrian saw that it was barely past eight. Who could be visiting at this hour? As he walked toward the door, he glanced once at the hallway leading to his room. If his mother was visiting, he'd just have to shoo her back out the door quickly. He gasped faintly when, through the warped fish-eye peephole, he saw a tall, dark haired man waiting somewhat impatiently.  _ He sure is back early, _ Adrian thought as he undid the bolt and opened the door for Colfax.

It was lucky that Colfax wasn't usually one to be very polite, because he didn't wait to be invited before entering the apartment and closing the door behind him. Adrian's face reddened faintly, well aware of how bedraggled he looked, having just woken up recently. He almost griped at his uncouth friend, but some details stopped the words. First, Colfax's collar was up... it was, well, almost comical because Adrian knew he hated that style. But then, Adrian's pale eyes drew to the figure on Colfax's shoulder. It didn't take him long to figure out what must have happened, and he turned an indignant glare up to his friend's unreadable expression. "What the hell?!" he asked incredulously, wincing faintly as he realized he probably spoke too loudly.

Sawyer flinched at the words, instinctually pulling the edge of the collar down as if to hide himself. This must be Adrian, and boy did he look pissed. Wasn’t he supposed to be the calm, nice friend? Maybe that was only to people that weren’t Colfax; which Sawyer could understand, but he just hoped he wasn’t getting counted as part of the package. The last thing he needed was for some human he just met to be ticked off at him. Luckily, however, Adrian’s glare seemed to be only for Colfax. Though, the cause of the anger did seem to be related to him somehow… Jesus this was all so complicated, hopefully somebody could explain it all to him, because he was lost. Speaking of which… he looked around a bit from under the collar, but didn’t see Charlie. Was he in another room?

Back in Adrian’s room the loudly spoken words, said with such anger, made Charlie jump with surprise and worry. His heart rate skyrocketed as he tried to figure out what had just happened. He had never heard such a strong emotion come from Adrian, especially not anger like this. Whoever was at the door had certainly touched a nerve. It was probably Colfax, a conclusion which didn’t exactly help Charlie to relax. His least favorite human showing up first thing in the morning and eliciting such a response from Adrian didn’t seem fortuitous at all. It did succeed in making him curious, though, and he wished he could see out into the hallway from his angle. Whatever was going on seemed to be very important indeed.

Colfax winced, knowing that if he'd actually made Adrian of all people yell like that, he was in trouble. All would be well, he reasoned, as soon as he could explain why Sawyer was with him. He felt every nervous movement next to his neck, and was very grateful that the viri hadn't been startled enough to fall from his perch. "Adrian," he said quietly, holding up a hand to try to calm him down. In response, Adrian adopted a very skeptical look, but waited for an explanation. "This is Sawyer. He wanted to come here to see Charlie."

Adrian's heart slowed down to normal as Colfax briskly explained himself. He'd still have to find out a little more, but at least he hadn't showed up with this Sawyer fellow in some kind of cage. He looked guiltily at the small figure hiding under the upturned collar. "Um, it's nice to meet you, Sawyer. I'm sorry to be so loud. I wasn't thinking." He truly felt remorseful for it, and worried that maybe Sawyer would be permanently timid around him now. But he was also unendingly curious about how exactly Colfax and Sawyer came to be there together. And, how on this or any planet had Colfax managed to get someone's name all on his own?

At the apology Sawyer cautiously unfolded the collar from where he had been holding it, flushing a bit and feeling slightly embarrassed to be hiding. Obviously Adrian was just how Colfax had described him, with the exception of one bout of anger- apparently on Sawyer’s behalf, which he had yet to wrap his brain around. “That’s okay,” he replied, laughing a bit nervously but other than that trying to act normal. “Nice to meet you too.” Straightening up a bit he glanced around once more, but even with a good view of most of the house he didn’t see Charlie anywhere. “Where’s Charlie?” he asked, grimacing slightly as he imagined the wrath he was surely about to face from his own mild-mannered friend.

Charlie listened in disbelief as Colfax said Sawyer's name. Sawyer was here with Colfax? But how? A million possibilities ran through his mind, everything from capture to… well, worse capture. That disbelief quickly mingled with shock and anger, however, as he heard Sawyer reply to Adrian. What was that idiot thinking? Charlie’s face turned completely red, and if his leg hadn’t been so injured he would have gone into the living room and yelled at Sawyer himself. As it was he was stuck fuming, waiting until they all came into the bedroom. Ooh, was Sawyer going to get an earful from him for that. He’d better have a damn good explanation for all of this.

Adrian was relieved to see that Sawyer bounced back so quickly. He smiled, still a little amazed at the turn of fate the last twenty-four hours had brought. When he asked where Charlie was, Adrian noticed Colfax again. It wasn't hard for him to stay so still, but Adrian could tell that Colfax was mildly nervous about the state of things. "He's in the other room." Looking between the two of them once or twice as he led Colfax back through the apartment, he explained, "Just woke up actually."

Colfax followed, trying not to talk back or ask about Charlie's medical state as he walked. As it was, he was ready for the moment that he wouldn't have to worry about dropping Sawyer; not being able to actually see him didn't help. He rolled his eyes as Adrian leaned in the doorway to his own bedroom with a good-natured smile on his face, courteously announcing that they were coming into the room. But that was just his way, so with a sigh he waited the few seconds and walked in. Upon arriving at the dresser, both humans were puzzled to see anger on Charlie's face. Adrian immediately worried that he'd offended. Colfax hadn't expected to be welcomed back, but by no means was this expected.

Remembering full well the kind of impression he'd made on Charlie the day before, Colfax felt it best that he didn't lean in too close. He didn't want to alarm him; so, he slowly offered Sawyer a steady hand, ready to ferry him to the dresser. "Charlie," he greeted in his still-hushed voice. "I brought someone to see you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, Sawyer's gonna get it! :D


	14. Chapter 14

“Yes you did, didn’t you,” Charlie said brusquely, crossing his arms. He had no trouble talking now, the jig was up- Sawyer had seen to that. Might as well say his piece now that apparently every human they met was trustworthy enough to talk to.

Part of him was silently freaking out about Sawyer sitting up on Colfax’s shoulder. Sawyer had always been a bit of a risk-taker, but that was just plain dangerous, even for him. Not to mention Charlie was very curious how a situation with so much physical contact like that had happened in the first place. By the way Sawyer had no trouble in stepping onto Colfax’s hand, Charlie guessed the idea wasn’t exactly forced upon him.

“Mornin’ Charlie,” Sawyer greeted his friend, giving him a nervous wave as he stepped into Colfax’s offered hand. He knew full well that Charlie’s anger was for him and him alone, though he already got the sense that his friend wasn’t exactly fond of Colfax either. That was completely understandable, as Sawyer had shared the sentiment strongly not twenty-four hours ago. Surprisingly, that seemed to have changed. “How ya doin’?” he asked, jumping off of Colfax’s hand and onto the table. His eyes were drawn to the large brace wrapped around Charlie’s leg, which had bruised into a nasty mottled spectrum of colors. 

“Oh, you know, just fine,” Charlie said. He waited until Sawyer got close enough before reaching up and smacking him upside the head. “Except for my friend showing up on a human’s shoulder! Oh, and talking to them too just like it’s normal, that’s a great idea!” Sawyer winced and rubbed the back of his head, riding out Charlie’s indignant accusations until he could get a word in edgewise. “Did the Code just entirely slip your mind? Or are you really just that dumb? Honestly, man, have you no respect at all?”

Adrian put a hand over his mouth to avoid uttering a yelp of surprise. Charlie talked! He was beginning to wonder if he even could. But then a drama began to unfold on the dresser, and he had to watch in shock. His mild-mannered little neighbor was really letting Sawyer have it. He almost felt bad for not planning this better. He hoped the stress wouldn't cause any trouble for his injury. But, seeing that their conversation would probably continue, he couldn't bring himself to interrupt.

Colfax, however, hadn't changed his expression at all, even when Charlie snapped at him. He wordlessly and carefully ferried Sawyer to the dresser. His hand immediately went to scratch his neck and fold his collar back down. He took a deep breath, but it caught for a split second when Charlie struck Sawyer. The emotion in the action was... fascinating. Colfax watched things unfold with a keen interest. He heard mention of a Code, as well as some disdain for Sawyer talking to Adrian and himself. It was an interesting rule, to be sure; in truth, talking to him was the only way Sawyer had convinced Colfax that the viri were people. He glanced between the two of them, wondering if he should interrupt.

“Charlie, will ya just let me explain?” Sawyer asked softly, sitting down next to his friend. That’s when he saw the tears glimmering in Charlie’s eyes and his heart plummeted. He should have known, Charlie hardly ever got angry, and obviously it was as upsetting to him as it was to Sawyer. The poor guy had obviously been through a lot in the last few days, and the stress Sawyer had put him through was just the last straw. So, though Sawyer didn’t exactly regret his actions, he did wish he had put a bit more thought into them around Charlie. “Aw, Charlie, don’t cry,” he said plaintively, looking over at his friend with a concerned frown. “I can explain, s’not as bad as you think.”

“I’m not crying!” Charlie sobbed, wiping away the tears streaming down his cheeks. It was all too much for him to handle, he had no idea what was right and wrong anymore. He knew Sawyer probably meant the best, but he had complicated things so thoroughly that Charlie barely knew which way was up. Added to his injury, the stress had put his emotions in shambles, and he couldn’t find the strength to stop crying. He wasn’t even angry anymore, he was just sad and confused. It wasn’t just Sawyer either, it was everything, all the rules and values that had given his life structure were falling down around him. Even worse he was breaking down in front of two humans, who intentionally or not were the root of the problem. Sawyer reached over and patted his shoulder in an attempt at comforting him, looking concerned but unsure what else to do.

Colfax frowned faintly. Charlie's state of mind was not good for him. Unfortunately, he knew he was just about the last person on earth who would be able to calm him down. He did avert his gaze, first glancing at Adrian and then looking at the wall behind the dresser with a sigh. Adrian's worried expression had said it all. Colfax was still amazed and endlessly curious about the viri, but he was less concerned with his own academic pursuits than he had been in a while. He ran a hand back through his hair, frowning faintly. He wanted to go ahead and own up, take responsibility for the fact that he had been selfish.

Adrian had watched his friend's movements with some sidelong glances. He knew him well enough to know that Colfax didn't often struggle with feelings of any kind, and today it almost seemed like regret. Adrian's attention snapped back to Charlie, though, when his voice broke and revealed that he was indeed crying. Unfortunately, Adrian realized, he couldn't even see closely enough to tell. How could he be a friend to this person if he couldn't even tell how upset he was?

The human almost reached out. He also wanted to pat Charlie's back, let him know that he didn't need to be scared. But he couldn't bring himself to make contact. He rested his hand next to the two smaller people instead, finally taking the chance to speak. "I'm so sorry, Charlie. I know that all of this is my fault." A broken leg, his entire species found out, and now a friend apparently captured all in the last day, and it was Adrian's carelessness.

Charlie shook his head, trying to take deep breaths and calm himself down. “It’s not your fault,” he said, and though his voice was thick with tears it was entirely sincere. “It’s not anybody’s fault.” He didn’t exactly know who or what was the cause of all his trouble- probably a lot of things, maybe just a fair bit of bad luck. He didn’t know anything anymore. As hard as it was, he looked up and forced a smile at Adrian. Forget the fact that he was human, Adrian was a friend, and Charlie couldn’t just let him blame himself for all of the terrible circumstances that had befallen Charlie. That wasn’t fair to anybody. Finally the tears stopped, though he was still taking deep, shaky breaths. With an apologetic look he glanced over at Sawyer and said, “I’m sorry. I’m sure you didn’t… I mean I just… I’m sorry.”

“S’all right, bud,” Sawyer said with a smile, giving him an extra hard pat on the back. “I know. Nothin’ makes sense like it’s s’posed to. Just don’t be too hard on yourself, ‘kay?” At this Charlie scoffed but he knew good advice when he heard it; after all, it wasn’t really Sawyer he was upset with. Sawyer saw this and, taking it as a good sign, continued. He explained briefly what had happened (he didn’t bother to hide the fact that Colfax had captured him at first – he didn’t owe the guy that much – but he didn’t hide the fact that he let him go either). Charlie looked horrified and surprised at all the right moments, but by the end of it Sawyer thought he understood a little bit more. At least, enough to not be so mad at him.

In fact Charlie was pretty impressed, with both Sawyer and Colfax- Sawyer for his bravery, and Colfax for his surprising benevolence. “You  _ still _ talked to Colfax before considering other options,” he said reproachfully, but his heart wasn’t in it and Sawyer just grinned unremorsefully. “You know the Code says to limit interactions with humans as much as possible…” Here he hesitated, for the first time truly realizing the depth of his uncertainty in an area where he was used to being certain. “…but I also realize we seem to be a bit beyond that point now.” He sighed deeply, still struggling to wrap his mind around the whole deal. “As long as we remain, er, discreet about everything I guess that’s the best we can do.” At this Sawyer, who had been beginning to relax, froze completely with a look of complete panic. Charlie read it for what it was almost immediately. “What did you do?” he asked, his voice sounding just about as panicked as Sawyer looked.

Colfax raised an eyebrow at Adrian's heartfelt apology. He was even impressed that he almost reached out to Charlie. Person or not, he was almost a stranger; sometimes Adrian's willingness to be kind confounded Colfax. But at the same time, he was relieved when Charlie seemed to accept the apology, even to calm down. Even Adrian seemed extremely relieved.

Colfax's gaze zeroed in on Sawyer, though, when he started explaining their meeting. He could feel Adrian's incredulous glare boring into him. A stinging impact on his arm made Colfax flinch and turn towards Adrian with a surprised and bemused look on his face. He had actually  _ backhanded _ him. The look Colfax gave him suggested that he was doing everything he could to hold back his laughter.

Adrian's hand was shaking after that. He crossed his arms to pin it to his side and stop the tremor. He almost had something to say, to scold Colfax for his rash actions. He had literally left here the day before to go messing around with other little people. The fact that they were on better terms was nothing short of a miracle. But he and Colfax both turned towards Charlie and Sawyer with concern and curiosity at the sound of a raised voice. "Um, is something wrong?" Adrian asked tentatively.

“It just slipped out!” Sawyer babbled, the humans in the room all but forgotten between the two of them. “We were havin’ a conversation, and he asked a question, and I just… didn’t think.” He winced at that, ignoring Charlie’s panicked (and decidedly turning angry again) gaze. Since the event itself he had known this was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier. He didn’t know who he needed to convince more, Charlie or himself, but somebody needed to know that it was all going to be okay. Sawyer quickly went on and added, “But it’s okay, Colfax promised not to tell anybody!”

“Tell them  _ what _ ?” Charlie’s voice was slow. His eyes, wide with fear and apprehension, remained trained on Sawyer. The man under scrutiny still couldn’t look back at him, and was tapping his fingers anxiously. It took him a few tense moments but eventually he answered, his voice quiet and regretful.

“I told him we were viri.”

Charlie gaped at him for a moment, before a response, little more than a squeak, burst out. “You  _ what _ ?!”

Adrian glanced back and forth between Charlie and Sawyer as they spoke. The intense conversation really had him worried. He almost thought Colfax was to blame, but he stopped that train of thought. It did nobody any good to throw blame around, even though sometimes the guy really asked for it. But then, at the big reveal, Adrian frowned, confused. He couldn't relate to why the name of their kind – viri – was of such secret importance. He looked to Colfax to see if he'd missed something.

Colfax, however, rolled his eyes and sighed. He understood why Charlie wanted to maintain as much secrecy about the viri as possible. But he didn't sympathize at the moment, because freaking out over something that was over and done with did no good. He leaned on his elbow on the dresser, on the opposite end so he wouldn't loom directly over the little folk, looking with a very faint smirk down at the two of them. "Look," he began, his deep voice still held at a lower volume for their benefit. "I understand your concern, but I have to point out that you've recently suffered a traumatic injury, and the stress you're working yourself into is not healthy." He held up a hand to stop Adrian from interjecting and telling him how rude that was. Right now, Colfax had a point to make. "Besides. If Sawyer here  _ hadn't _ spoken, things could be much worse right now." He had no reason to lie. The conversation with Sawyer had done far more good than bad regarding Colfax's attitude.

The two viri gave a start and looked over quickly at Colfax as he spoke up, having almost forgotten he was there in the first place. Charlie was opening his mouth to protest when Colfax’s last statement stunned him into silence. It wasn’t something he had ever considered before, but it was a powerful idea. Charlie remembered the way Colfax had looked at him when they first met, as if he were some amazing creature that he wanted to study; it was quite a bit different from how the human looked at him now, though traces of that desire still lingered. For all intents and purposes, it would appear Colfax was right- Sawyer’s talking had actually made things much better for them. Charlie looked over at Sawyer, who just shrugged. The both of them were a little surprised at the statement and the consequences it suggested. They had never heard of anything like that before; but then again, all of this was practically uncharted waters. Who knew what would actually be considered “normal” in such a situation?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well at least the bad feelings are out and dealt with. Things can go back to normal now... or, you know, as normal as possible. ^^;
> 
> Also just in case anybody was curious, Sawyer has a Texas accent and Charlie has a British one- when they both get upset or excited it can get nigh unintelligable.


	15. Chapter 15

Sawyer looked over at Charlie, who looked decidedly worse for the wear. His eyes were dazed and glassed over with dark bags under them, and though he had yet to realize it he was trembling again. “Colfax’s right, bud, you need to relax,” Sawyer said, picking up the edge of the dishtowel and wrapping it over his friend’s shoulders. This seemed to snap Charlie out of it and he managed a small “thanks”. With that done, Sawyer turned back to the humans above them with a winning smile. “So!” he said cheerfully, trying to get to a new topic of conversation as quickly as possible. “What’s for breakfast?” The smile immediately turned to a look of concern and he added, “Please don’t say cereal.”

Colfax raised an eyebrow and allowed himself an amused smile for a second. Adrian, however, smacked his forehead with his palm, missing the joke. "Crap, I forgot. I'm sorry. I'll get that. Craaap." His sentence trailed off as he practically bolted from the room. His exit was swift enough that Colfax took a step back to stay out of his way. He actually chuckled after he was gone; there was the finicky Adrian he knew. Panicking over proper host-guest politeness. But then it sank in that he was alone in the room with two little people who didn't exactly have any reason to like him much. He looked back, glancing over Charlie with a newly blank face.

"I... I see you've taken your medicine," he said. "Other than all this excitement, have there been any changes in your condition?" A normal person might have just asked “How are you doing?” but Colfax was slipping into medical mode. He leaned forward slightly to glance at Charlie's broken leg. The bruising looked quite intense, but at least it looked like the injury was on the right track since he had set the bone.

As Colfax leaned forward Charlie leaned back slightly, as if there were a set distance that had to be maintained between them. After hearing Sawyer’s story he surprisingly felt a bit better about the human- after all, in the end he had done the right thing. Still, that didn’t mean he suddenly wanted to get all friendly with him. He was still a bit too afraid for that and, though his friend wouldn’t admit it, Sawyer was too. They just dealt with fear much differently. “Not- not that I have noticed,” he stammered in reply to Colfax’s question. “My fever was gone this morning, and though my leg still hurts it feels a lot better now.” Although he was hungry for breakfast he wished Adrian would come back. It was uncomfortable with only Colfax in the room.

Sawyer listened idly to their conversation, his mind on Adrian. He really did seem to be an astonishingly nice human. If Charlie’s words earlier were any indication, his friend trusted Adrian a lot, which was saying something considering the circumstances. Now that he had actually met Adrian though he could completely understand. It wasn’t just that the guy was nice, it was that he was equivocally nice to everybody- viri or human, it didn’t seem to matter to him. That was something special all on its own. No wonder Colfax always acted like he was getting the better deal out of their friendship, anybody would. Not that Colfax couldn’t stand to learn a bit (or a lot) from Adrian, but his reactions at least bordered the expected. Adrian was an enigma- a lucky, miraculous enigma of a human.

Colfax nodded to hear that the viri's condition seemed to be improving. He wasn't sure what else he'd be able to do for him at this point, aside from watching out for danger signs. But he was also beginning to hope for Adrian to return. The silence in the room he could probably stand for ages. The wary glances, though, were almost palpable. He released a faint breath when he heard Adrian's steps in the hall.

Adrian shuffled back into the room with a smile, carrying a small plate. He gently set it on the dresser next to the two viri. He had cut some small squares of bread and left a smudge of butter for them if they wanted it. There were also two small pieces of peach from the can before; he felt bad to keep reusing that, but he didn't want the fruit to go to waste either. Next to the food, there was also a bottle cap of water, quite a bit larger than Charlie's medicine cap. "Sorry about the cap being so much, I don't have any other small containers." He wrung his hands, hoping that he'd put together enough for the both of them.

"And, I thought of something, too," he knelt slightly so he was closer to eye level with them. "I thought that, since, well, Charlie can't go into the walls until his leg is better, now, Sawyer, you could go and get anything he might need while he's laid low. If there's anything there that you need, I mean," he looked at Charlie with a shrug and a faint smile. In truth, Adrian had no idea if there was actually something Charlie would need from his home in the walls. But until now, he hadn't had any idea of how to see that he got it.

Colfax clucked his tongue, unable to resist this chance. Adrian had basically opened himself up for some teasing with that. "You mean you aren't providing everything he needs, Adrian? And here I was bragging about your skills as a host. What's a guest to do?" It earned a snarky look and some rolled eyes. Success.

Charlie and Sawyer looked at each other with surprise, considering the suggestion. It was a good one, and honestly Sawyer couldn’t believe that he hadn’t thought of it first. “I guess a change of clothes would be quite welcome,” Charlie said as Sawyer passed him a piece of butter-smeared bread. “And there’s a book on my bedside table I was in the middle of, that would be great too. Considering I’m not going anywhere anytime soon it will probably come in handy.” He said the last part somewhat in jest, and Sawyer chuckled appreciatively. Charlie was a bibliophile, which was not an easy thing for a viri to be. Still, knowing him he was probably going crazy already without something to read.

“A’ight, I can get you those,” Sawyer said confidently, already digging into his peach. Finally, a normal task to do for once. “Should probably lock up too, make sure no unwanted critters get in.” Charlie nodded emphatically- he hadn’t had time to be worried about that, but it was certainly a precaution Sawyer should take. When nobody was living in the rooms there was a great danger of everything being ruined by a stray spider, not to mention if something bigger managed to get in. If Sawyer locked up everything tight, though, there wouldn’t be an issue. Sawyer wiped his hands on his pants, which were still sort of damp, and stood up decisively. “Are those pulleys at the back of the kitchen still the best way to get in? And your outer doors are still those tin sheet ones around the house and the storage rooms, yeah?” It had been quite a while since he’d visited, but Charlie nodded to say that everything was still the same. He wasn’t one for unnecessary change.

As their conversation turned towards Charlie's home, Adrian had a smug look for Colfax. But he was relieved that Sawyer had come along. He was better suited to help Charlie in everything except the medical issue. Plus, Adrian reasoned, it would probably do the poor fellow some good to have the company of a friend during this ordeal. "That works out nicely," he observed with a smile. He looked to Colfax, but his friend was focused thoughtfully on the two viri's words.

Pulley systems. Doors to “lock up”. Even  _ books _ . Multitudes of questions raged in his mind, demanding to be answered. Why was he standing around when he could be seeking those answers? He caught Adrian looking at him with a raised eyebrow and shook the thoughts away. "Indeed it does." After a pause, he couldn't resist asking at least some questions. "What sort of books do you read? And where do you get them?"

These questions Charlie was happy to answer. “Accounts mostly,” he said brightly. “Annals of the history of my family, passed down from generation to generation. But I also have a fictional novel and a historical account of another family that lived during the French Revolution that somebody else gave me. I have five books in my collection.” He said the last part proudly; it was quite a feat, and one most viri couldn’t boast of. His family had been keeping records of important events for going on two centuries, and considering the way of life of his people it was near miraculous that they had all survived to be passed down to him. Keeping them and collecting as many more as he could was a responsibility he took on with great respect for those who came before him (and a good deal of enthusiasm). 

“Yep, that boy can read like nobody’s business,” Sawyer said, just as happy. It was rare when Charlie got excited about things, so seeing him so enthused made Sawyer pleased just as much. “Walls’re papered with old encyclopedia pages if you’d believe it. Speakin’ of which, I might as well get going and grab those things for ya.” He turned to Charlie with a grin, and his friend smiled in return. “Where’s your nearest entrance?” After sitting up straighter and looking around a bit, Charlie pointed to the corner that the bed covered and explained how to find the hinge in the paneling. “A’ight, simple enough,” Sawyer said, before looking up at Colfax expectantly. “Little help here? Left my gear back at our house.”

Colfax could hardly believe his ears. Not only did the viri keep books, but they kept full records of their lives. He wondered how much he could learn from just one such volume. And that little tidbit about viri in the French Revolution... so they really were a widespread folk. There was no question, Colfax would need to take a look at one of those books someday. He came back to the conversation when Charlie started explaining the nuances of his entrance to the room. Even Adrian seemed interested, as the other human turned to glance at the corner he indicated. Colfax had to smile faintly when Sawyer asked for his help. Of course he'd normally need gear to climb human furniture; neither he nor Charlie showed signs of any natural traits that would make it possible. Musing on that, he placed a hand on the dresser palm up. "Of course," he said, a little shocked that the little guy seemed perfectly okay with that arrangement.  _ Our house, _ he echoed in his head. As one used to living alone, the thought was certainly intriguing.

Adrian had to grin. "It sounds like quite a setup you have. I wish I could see it for myself," he mused. In all his work towards his degree, he'd not much considered the space in the walls. That was for holding up the house, making a building's rooms with the best structure. But, he thought, inside the walls there had to be a hundred different ways to build a home. He almost said more, but he had to stop and watch as Colfax offered his hand without any hesitation. He almost envied his ability to make contact without shaking. But he was more amazed at Colfax's behavior around the viri; it was like he was stuck between the demeanor he had for his patients and the attitude he had for his few friends. Adrian could tell that would only improve if he hung around more. "I think the most amazing thing about you guys is that you actually got this guy's mind off science for more than five minutes" he said with a chuckle. Colfax just raised an eyebrow at him, but otherwise didn't move so he wouldn't disturb Sawyer.

“Believe me, it wasn’t easy,” Sawyer said with a laugh as he climbed onto Colfax’s hand. It was said mostly in jest, though, as he wasn’t one to hold a grudge. The past was the past, and as long as the future was okay it didn’t matter so much. Charlie felt a bit differently- he still was a bit wary about Colfax, and was openly surprised at how casually Sawyer put his life in the human’s hands. That was about more than just Colfax though, which Sawyer knew, so he didn’t pay it much attention. Charlie would learn to relax given enough time, it would just take him quite a bit longer. He had to come to terms with quite a few troublesome nuances in his own way of thinking first. Sawyer continued to joke as Colfax ferried him to the floor. “He’s a great scientist, it’s just not so great to be on the other end of it, ya know?”

Once on the floor he hopped off, his feet sinking slightly into the carpet. Charlie watched from up on the dresser as he made his way across the room and disappeared under the bed, for all the world looking as casual as if he were striding through the walls of his own home. Within moments Charlie heard a faint “click” and knew Sawyer had found the hidden door just fine, leaving Charlie alone with the two humans. With a small sigh Charlie leaned back, rubbing his face with an edge of the towel wrapped around his shoulders. What a morning it had been, and he had hardly been awake for half an hour yet. It was almost enough to make him want to go back to sleep and just ignore it all, but he resisted the urge. Somehow he didn’t think his life was going to get easier or less hectic anytime soon, so he might as well face reality and deal with it.

Colfax stayed knelt towards the ground for several seconds, waiting for Sawyer to be well clear of himself and Adrian. The vantage point gave him a chance to glance under the bed. Even if there was light, he guessed that he wouldn't be able to find the entrance to the walls. It sounded like it was better hidden than the ones in his dark cupboards. That, and it did seem like Charlie was a bit more meticulous about it than Sawyer. As he stood again, he idly wondered which of them was the norm among other viri. Sawyer's comment elicited a faint chuckle from him. His gaze snapped back to the dresser when Adrian spoke up.

"Are you alright, Charlie? I-I know you've had to deal with a lot this morning." The way his small friend had sighed and rubbed his face, Adrian worried he might be wearing down. "Do you need anything?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit more exposition as to the lives of the viri! They're basically borrowers, just without that name and a bit of a different cultural background. If you have any questions about them feel free to ask me- more will be told about them later too I'm sure. ^^


	16. Chapter 16

"Adrian, you mother hen," Colfax interrupted in a quiet, steady voice. Before he'd looked back, he had worried that Charlie's condition had suddenly plummeted. But it was just Adrian worrying, of course. "Stress is contagious. Having some things from home should help normalize some things." He glanced at Charlie. "I anticipate a healthy recovery." He tried to warm up his neutral expression to be more reassuring; it reached his eyes, but he couldn't extend it past that.

The fact that Colfax was actually trying to reassure him almost freaked Charlie out more than calmed him down, but he kept his emotions under control this time. “I’m fine, Adrian,” he said comfortingly in response to the first human’s query. “What I need is for you to stop worrying so much.” If Adrian didn’t calm down he’d soon be confined to bed just like Charlie, and somehow Charlie doubted Colfax would be the most natural caretaker if it came to that. He gave Adrian a reassuring smile, and surprisingly enough it made him feel better as well. “Colfax knows what he’s doing, I’m sure my leg will be just fine in no time.”

That particular phrase, however, prompted yet another worry in Charlie’s mind and he turned to Colfax with a look of concern. “Er, it will, won’t it? I mean, how long will it take to heal?” He hadn’t really given it much thought, nor did he have a clue as to the answer- nobody he knew personally had ever had something so severe as a broken bone, much less had it set and treated by a human. Charlie didn’t have any idea what to expect. He hoped it wasn’t long, of course; the sooner it was fixed the sooner he’d be able to get back to his normal life, whatever that would be after this. Still, it was a pretty serious injury, and he doubted he’d be up and about anytime soon.

Adrian's shoulders relaxed. He was almost a little embarrassed at being called out by both Charlie and Colfax. But it was true; he needn't worry so much. Indeed, Charlie looked so much better than he had just the night before. Adrian had to hand it to Colfax's skills; he was truly cut out for the work he did. "Right," he let out a nervous laugh, shrugging. "I'm sure you'll be tough enough and get through this in no time."

"Indeed," Colfax answered, crossing his arms thoughtfully. He looked over Charlie before answering his query. "Your break was fairly clean, and didn't break the skin. The infection was also stopped early on. If I were to guess based on other mammals about your size, I would give it three to four weeks, perhaps less." It certainly felt like a long time to be laid low, but Colfax's mind began to wander to alternatives, including casts. The medical challenge was refreshing, and if he could find a way to help Charlie heal faster, he could of course apply it to the animals he worked with

Adrian frowned slightly upon hearing the number. "Ugh, that sounds rough. You're gonna need more books."

Needless to say the supposed time it would take to heal was uncomfortably long, and Charlie made a face as Colfax said it. “Three to four  _ weeks _ ?” he complained, groaning and flopping backwards onto the rest of the towel. “I’m going to need more than just books. A shower, for one, and a real bed…” He looked up at Adrian with a worried frown. “We’re going to have to get creative.” At least Sawyer was there to help; Charlie was going to need somebody his size around to help him with lots of things. After all he couldn’t even stand up on his own, and as much as he had learned to trust Adrian he didn’t exactly want to only rely on humans for things like changing clothes. That could only end embarrassingly for both sides, if not worse.

The idea of having to stick around for another few weeks at best just kept spawning more and more worries for Charlie, and he spoke some of them. “Plus how are Sawyer and I going to be safe if I can’t move? What if your mother comes over to visit? I doubt she’ll keep away for a whole month. We can’t let somebody else find out! Where would we hide?” He was working himself into a fine state with these worries, and as he realized that he took a deep breath and tried to calm down. “Sorry. It’s just… three weeks is a long time. I-I’m sure we’ll be able to figure everything out.” He was anything but sure, but the sentiment still held. After all, he wasn’t alone in this like he had first thought, so there was hope yet.

Adrian fell into thought for several seconds. Charlie was right, they would need to come up with a better arrangement. "I do know of a way to at least keep you hidden when my family visits. They never ever mess with my projects." He shrugged and brushed his hair back. "I build a lot of scale models of buildings. It'd probably be really different from what you're used to, and maybe not as, I don't know, cozy. And I mean, I've worked on some models before with an almost-functional plumbing system, I can probably revisit that project." All Adrian could picture was how plain these sorts of models always looked. 

Colfax chuckled. "Right. Architect. That should work pretty well." He remembered the first model he'd ever seen Adrian work on. Even that one would probably be fit as a temporary living space for a viri. "As for my part," he began, his gaze falling to Charlie's still bruised and swollen leg. "If you are willing, I can put a cast on your leg after the swelling has gone down some. You can walk with a crutch that way." It wasn't perfect, and Charlie certainly wouldn't be able to run around, but he could at least regain some mobility after a few days.

Charlie couldn’t help but look surprised at the two of them, taken aback by their offers. It sounded like they were willing to do quite a lot for him, more than he had expected. Adrian had even offered to build him an entire  _ house _ and Colfax… well… “Er, sounds great, but what’s a cast? And a crutch?” He had to ask, as he had absolutely no idea what those words entailed. If they helped him walk, though, he was more than willing to give them a try. It had only been a day but already he was tired of sitting in the same place; the relative privacy of a constructed model was sounding pretty inviting as well.

“What’s this I hear about buildin’ somethin’ or other?” a voice piped up from the floor. Charlie sat up and saw Sawyer standing just at the edge of the bed, a small stack of clothes and a book held in his arms. He looked up and gave Charlie a grin, which Charlie repaid with a relieved smile and a small wave. Not that he had been worried about Sawyer, but he was glad to have some company of his own size again. Plus, from the looks of it everything had gone smoothly for once. Sawyer started walking towards them, apparently completely unfazed by the two humans standing above him. “I hope that means you’re gettin’ a decent place to sleep,” he added, stopping expectantly in front of Colfax.

Colfax looked down steadily when he heard Sawyer speak. He smirked when, in the corner of his eye, he saw Adrian jump a little. He knelt steadily, offering his hand. He was getting used to that; offering his hand rather than simply reaching out and picking up the smaller being. As he stood back up and ferried Sawyer back to Charlie, he gave his answer. "A cast is a more secure wrapping for a broken bone. It can be fashioned in such a way that enables you to put partial weight on your leg. A crutch is basically a stick you lean on to bear more of your weight." He wasn't sure how often such small casts were made, and he was positive that he'd have to get creative to build a crutch. But, on a scientific level, it was a welcome challenge.

Adrian nodded once. "I had to have a cast on my arm once. It got the job done, but I warn you- sometimes they get so itchy." He said the last bit with a good-natured smile. But his thoughts returned to the materials he had for his models. He could certainly put together a living space. Whether or not a viri would ever  _ like _ it was up in the air.

“Oh,” Charlie said softly, trying to think through the idea. It was intriguing to be sure, though he wasn’t entirely certain yet what all it would entail. Sawyer hopped off of Colfax’s hand as if it were an elevator and strode over to Charlie, holding out the stack of clothes and book with a grin. Charlie took them with a smile and a small, “Thanks.” Placing the novel with its worn, green-felted cover aside he looked through the clothes, seeing what Sawyer had picked out for him. It was nothing surprising – he had too few clothes to be surprised – just a dark green long-sleeved shirt and a light brown pair of trousers. His shoes needed no change, and surprisingly they were both still on his feet. Actually changing, however, was going to be a trick. “How, er… how are we going to do this?” Charlie asked nervously, flushing slightly from embarrassment as he glanced at the others.

“I could probably help you in them,” Sawyer offered, not embarrassed in the least. He looked at his friend appraisingly. “You know, if you could maybe just stand on your good foot or somethin’.” After this he turned to the two humans in the room and added, “And, uh, if you two could maybe jus’ give us some privacy.” At this he smiled a winning grin, and Charlie began to blush furiously. Sawyer had a knack for saying the most obvious things in the least tactful fashion possible, and he knew it too. Charlie was certain he was doing it just to bother him.

Adrian had to laugh softly. Sawyer's confidence contrasting with Charlie's nervous glances was amusing. "Sure, of course. I've gotta have breakfast myself, anyway." He glanced at Colfax, who almost looked amused himself, before turning toward the door. "They can handle it, Colfax. Leave them be."

Colfax rolled his eyes. "Yes, of course," he murmured. He was less worried about whether they  _ could _ do it and more about how they should go about it. "If you can manage it, roll up the pant leg so it doesn't aggravate the injury, and so that we can get to it in case of complications." But, per their request, Colfax exited the room with Adrian.

Once back in the kitchen, Adrian finally got around to making toast. Colfax leaned on one of the counters, his arms crossed and his brow tight with thoughts. Adrian let him stew in whatever had him so preoccupied while he munched on his breakfast. But once it was gone, he walked right up to his tall friend and snapped his fingers right in front of his face. Colfax looked at him steadily, waiting for an explanation for such an interruption. "You're sure being nice. Having difficulties?" Adrian asked, genuinely curious. He knew his friend could be a truly sharp person, but that didn't mean he was uncaring. He just generally didn't handle interaction well. And Adrian was willing to bet that, of all things, Colfax was least expecting to actually interact with a viri on an equal level.

Colfax scoffed and shook his head. "I know that the mice and other creatures I normally deal with don't know any better, and that I need to act a certain way with them. When I set out to capture one of these 'viri'," he ignored Adrian's raised eyebrow at the mention of his scheme, "I was prepared to act the same way." He shrugged. "Sawyer just threw me for a loop."

Adrian smiled, leaning against the counter opposite Colfax. "I can tell. You're hardly being scientific at all. What would your thesis advisor say?" He chuckled when Colfax shot a withering glare his way. "I'm just kidding!"

Colfax scoffed. "I haven't given up on learning what I can. But I've never been an amoral person. I'll be proper about it."

"Still, though, you're doing a good job." Adrian admitted, smirking when Colfax raised his eyebrows faintly. After all, it was exceptionally rare that Adrian complimented  _ Colfax _ on his manners.

Back in the bedroom, Charlie let out a small sigh. He realized he’d been doing that rather a lot lately, though that wasn’t surprising at all given the circumstances. “Alright, help me up,” he said, and with the aid of Sawyer’s arm he was able to pull himself up onto his good foot. It was the first time he had stood up properly since the accident, and his head swam a bit. The feeling was gone in an instant, though he still held onto Sawyer for balance. His injured leg was stuck out awkwardly in front of him, bulky in the brace and held just off of the surface of the dresser. With his free hand Charlie shrugged down the pants he was wearing, though Sawyer’s help was needed to tug it over the brace. He winced as his leg was nudged, but bore through it without complaint. Working together, he and Sawyer grabbed the clean pair and followed Colfax’s advice, rolling the pant leg up to the length of shorts before tugging it over his bad leg.

Charlie had to fully lean on Sawyer in order to slip his good leg into the pants, but once they were on he sat down again with relief. The rest he could do himself. “Thanks,” he said gratefully to Sawyer, who waved it off and said something obvious in reply. They had been friends for much too long to merit awkwardness of any kind. The rest of the changing was easy, and Charlie had switched shirts in a minute’s time. He then rolled his pant leg down just a bit more, adjusting it so that it rested just above his knee. With a smile he said, “That’s much better.” Even though he hadn’t been able to take a shower, just being able to change into fresh clothes had made him feel cleaner. The dirty clothes he folded up and set aside, next to his shoes- he wouldn’t exactly be needing them any time soon.

Sawyer sat down next to him, looking at the closed bedroom door with an unusually pensive expression. Charlie let him think, knowing that his thoughts would inevitably make their way out of his mouth soon enough. Eventually Sawyer looked back at his friend and said, “This isn’t really how I imagined my Sunday would go.”

Charlie couldn’t help but laugh. “That is quite possibly the most  _ obvious _ thing I have ever heard you say!” he exclaimed. “And that’s certainly saying something, because you once informed me that the sky was blue unless it was cloudy out.” At that Sawyer chuckled, and they sat together laughing for a few moments. Subsiding to chuckles, Charlie looked back at the door. “I wonder what they’re talking about,” he mused. Sawyer shrugged, thinking that given the circumstances the answer was probably within the realm of an educated guess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, introducing a bit more normalcy into their lives! Don't worry, it won't last long. XD


	17. Chapter 17

After a pensive silence, Adrian shrugged and deposited his plate in the sink. Brushing away the last few stray crumbs, he ensured that the counter was once again spotless. "Well, should we go and check on them, do you think?" He worried that if something happened, they might not hear Sawyer or Charlie yelling for aid. He wasn't sure how the quick change would go in there, with the uncasted leg.

Colfax looked at the hallway, emitting a soft "Hmmm." After a moment, he decided that it might be a good idea; even though both of the viri were probably glad for a chance to be on their own for a little while. "It has been well enough time, I think." He stepped away from the counter and started towards the hall, leading the way. "Let's go and make sure they followed my advice."

Both Charlie and Sawyer looked up expectantly as footsteps approached the door, unsurprised when the two humans walked in. Charlie smiled softly up at Adrian, still unused to using words to show that everything was just fine.

“Man, you got so lucky with your human, he’s so nice,” Sawyer said to Charlie, his voice much too quiet for either of the humans to hear. His friend couldn’t help but chuckle, though he nodded his head slightly in reply. “His” human… not that he hadn’t sort of been thinking of Adrian in the same way, but it was amusing to hear Sawyer say it like such. That would mean that Sawyer had already claimed Colfax as his own human, which was a humorous notion in itself.

“The change went fine, we didn’t bother my leg that much,” Charlie said in a much louder voice, in answer to the question he was sure Adrian, at least, was wondering. “No harm done.”

Sawyer meanwhile had fallen silent, unusually introspective. He had realized that, while they still heard the humans coming from a decent way off, neither he nor Charlie had really reacted to them coming back. He would have expected a sensation of trepidation, or nervousness at least, but he had felt nothing adverse at the thought of being in their company again. That could potentially be a very dangerous thing indeed; now he thought he knew what Charlie had been so anxious about. It was a mental puzzle to be sure. 

Adrian had just opened his mouth to ask when Charlie spoke up. He had to grin at how he preempted him. It was a good guess; it must mean that Charlie was already quite used to Adrian's personality. That was a relief- Adrian didn't really know what he'd do if Charlie never warmed up to him. "That's good," he responded brightly. He gave a thumbs up. "I'm sure you'll be up and walking again in no time!" Even as he spoke, Adrian was already beginning to think of some possible designs for the models he would build. He probably already had some packed away that he could modify and reuse.

Colfax stepped up to the dresser and peered down to observe Charlie's splint. It seemed undisturbed, so he relaxed. He had seen that the two whispered at each other when they walked in, and wondered what they must have talked about. "Agreed. You're in good shape all things considered." He noted that, now that all of the initial excitement had worn off, everyone in the room seemed much more relaxed. Even Adrian didn't seem to fret so much over the situation. Colfax was glad for it, but he knew that he'd still have to be careful with what he said and did if he wanted to avoid setting anybody off again.

A bit of optimism was welcome after all that had happened, and Charlie couldn’t help but smile. Despite the strangeness and terror the situation had caused, at the moment it didn’t seem so bad. He was grateful Sawyer was there, though his friend getting caught by a human hadn’t exactly been the best way for that to happen; just having somebody else his size there, who understood what he was feeling even if it was in his own unique manner, was an enormous relief. Still, it prompted a question he just had to ask: “Where do we go from here?” Though he seemed to ask it of everyone, Sawyer knew that part of the question was directed only at him- the part wondering if after this was all over, they should disappear without a trace like good little viri.

Still, that was a rather loaded question to be answering, especially in front of the two humans concerned, so Sawyer settled for talking about the short term. “Well ain’t much for you to do,” he answered plainly, though he gave his friend a caring smile. “You just sit there for a while and get better. Me, I’ll just stick around with Colfax wherever he goes, seein’ as he’s my ride.” It was a strange notion to be sure, one he (and Charlie) could hardly believe he was saying, but it was a natural course of action nonetheless. “Maybe next time I’ll come more prepared and be able to stay over with you, but today I ain’t brought nothin’ from home.”

Both humans paused at Charlie's big question. Adrian sincerely hoped that they could remain friends, even if they didn't see each other very often. Either way, he would respect their boundaries. He wondered absently what Colfax would do if the viri told him to stay away. But that was pushed from his mind at Sawyer's nonchalant announcement. Adrian had to chuckle, especially considering even Colfax looked caught off guard by that one. A picture came to mind of Colfax taxiing around several tiny people, his collar folded straight up.

"Right, of course. I can live with this arrangement," Colfax answered easily. Of course he could, for it meant he had more chances to observe viri behavior. And, he supposed, it wouldn't be bad to see Adrian, his only friend, once in a while. "Did you want to go and retrieve your things now-" He stopped speaking abruptly and turned his head towards the door. There was definitely someone letting themselves into the apartment. Colfax stiffened, but Adrian tensed up completely when the unmistakable sound of his mother's voice carried back through the hall.

"Adrian? Where are you, hon?"

Adrian went paler than he already was. He spared one glance at Colfax, a look that instructed him to keep quiet, before bolting from the room and shutting the door behind him. He winced, worrying he had slammed it too hard, but he had to head off his mother before she discovered Charlie and Sawyer. "H-hey, Mom, how's it going. Th-the back room is not ready yet, but what do you think?"

Colfax, dutifully staying quiet, went to the door, ready to stop it from opening if Adrian's mother made it past her son. He glanced back to the dresser with worry, knowing that there was nothing in the room to help conceal the viri. Even his unflappable heart was pounding.

Both of the viri froze completely at the sound of the door opening, and the unmistakable voice of a human who could only be Adrian’s mother. Even the loud sound of the door slamming shut couldn’t faze them. If one hadn’t known they were alive, they might have passed as oddly dressed action figures, for they weren’t even breathing. That instinct that Sawyer was worried about losing, the one that screamed “trouble” whenever a human showed up on the scene? Yeah, that was working just fine. Every muscle in his body was tensed for flight, and he was sure Charlie was no different. Unfortunately, they weren’t exactly in the best position to flee, as Charlie couldn’t even walk…

Still, staying out in the open wasn’t an option- being a mother, that woman would definitely make it into this room at some point. Suddenly springing into action, Sawyer dashed to the edge of the dresser, looking out over the room as Charlie watched with wide, panicked eyes. Though bare, the room still had a few hiding spots suitable for two viri, ones no human would ever notice or consider; which was, of course, the point. The first aid kit lying open on the bedside table, for example. He knew Charlie shouldn’t be moved with his leg like it was, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and they were certainly desperate.

The viri said a word unsuitable for polite company under his breath and made his decision. Turning back to his friend, Sawyer said, “Charlie, please don’t kill me for this.” Before Charlie could even open his mouth to ask what it was he would be killing Sawyer  _ for _ , his friend had set his plan in motion. “ _ Hist _ . Colfax,” Sawyer whisper-yelled. When the human turned to look at them Sawyer gestured for him to step away from the door and come over to the dresser. “We need a hand over here.”

Colfax tilted his head when Sawyer beckoned him over. At first he wondered if he had heard correctly. He noticed the viri's significant looks at the first aid kit and understood. While Sawyer could certainly have gotten himself hidden on his own, Charlie needed looking after, and Sawyer wasn't about to leave him.

The human hesitantly released his grip on the doorknob. With one glance at the door, he strode back to the dresser. He heard the small talk from the front room and hoped Adrian could keep it up. When he reached them, Colfax paused. Charlie looked confused and Sawyer looked resolved, if a bit worried. Colfax's neutral expression didn't waver as he laid a hand next to them on the dresser.

"Apologies," he murmured. Without wasting time, he reached out with his other hand and gently lifted Charlie onto his flat palm, careful all the time with his injured limb. Luckily, Colfax remained as steady and gentle as always, and it only took a second or two to transfer the small man to his hand. Still, he did feel a bit tense with his back to the door and a very fragile creature now in his hand. He glanced at Sawyer, waiting for him to join Charlie on his hand.

It took a moment for Charlie to put two and two together, but when he did it was immediately apparent in his expression. He turned to Sawyer with what would have been a venomous glare, if it weren’t drowning in panic and fear. “I know, I know, you can kill me later,” Sawyer whispered as Colfax approached the dresser. “Just… just close your eyes and pretend it ain’t happenin’, it’ll be over soon.” With that Sawyer backed away, allowing Colfax to scoop up Charlie into his hand. Charlie flinched and curled up into himself as the human’s fingers wrapped around him, closing his eyes like instructed but unable to pretend it was anything other than what it was. He struggled to control his breathing, his leg all but forgotten amongst the sensation of Colfax’s hand quite literally surrounding him. This was more human contact than he had ever had before, and he didn’t like it one bit.

Not wasting any time, Sawyer gathered up the few items of Charlie’s that were still scattered on the dishtowel. Laying the small pile onto Charlie’s lap he jumped up onto Colfax’s hand without hesitation, crouching between Charlie and the edge and looping an arm around the human’s thumb for support. “A’ight, let’s go,” he said, harried and out of breath. He stole a glance around Colfax at the closed door, as if expecting it to open at any moment. They were in a very dangerous position, and he only hoped that Adrian could stall long enough for them to make it. 

As Colfax moved, Charlie let out a squeak of fear and clutched at Sawyer’s arm, and his friend tried to give him a comforting smile. Sawyer knew this was hard on Charlie – probably the bravest thing he had ever done, though there hadn’t been much of a choice – and he felt awful for putting him in such a situation. What was necessary wasn’t always easy, though, and this was definitely necessary.

Within just a few steps of Colfax’s he was lowering them into the open first aid kit. Before they had gotten all the way there, Sawyer jumped the last couple of inches into the box, quickly shoving things aside to clear off an area for Charlie. Once Colfax’s hand was resting on the plastic bottom, Sawyer helped Charlie slide slowly and carefully into the container. While doing so Sawyer could feel that his friend was shaking slightly again, and he hoped that being on relatively solid ground once more would help him calm down a bit. Given the circumstances he doubted it.

Colfax moved smoothly, doing his very best to avoid jostling his passengers. He could almost feel Charlie's tiny heartbeat racing, and hoped that the stress wouldn't have any lasting effects. As he took a breath he realized that his own heart was working very hard too. It only took seconds, but they seemed to stretch out before he finally reached his destination. The very last thing any of them needed was for Adrian's mother to burst into the room. He felt a twinge of guilt when Charlie and Sawyer were settled; the injured viri was definitely trembling from the ordeal, though from fear or pain it was hard to say. He was glad that Sawyer hadn't gone and hurt himself when he jumped down. Two tiny people with injured legs might be a bit much to handle.

“Sawyer,” Charlie gasped as he eased onto the plastic floor, “I’m going to kill you.” Sawyer just nodded, knowing he was going to get a proper telling off for this when everything was over. For the moment, though, they had bigger things to worry about- much bigger. Once Charlie was settled again Sawyer took a seat next to him, careful not to lean against anything that might crinkle noisily. Looking up a bit apprehensively at Colfax, and pushing aside all the instinct that was screaming this was insane and dangerous, Sawyer asked the human to close the lid.

Colfax paused when Sawyer gestured for the lid to be closed. His fingers brushed the plastic in his grip as he faced some indecision. It would certainly hide them from view and ensure that Adrian's mother would suspect nothing. But his mind kept throwing up various reasons for why this was not a suitable enclosure for creatures this size. Even without the clutter they would probably feel very crowded in. He had to ignore his objections for now, and as he started to close the kit, he spoke softly. In a reassuring tone that usually only came to him when dealing with animals, he said, "It will only be a short time. As soon as the danger is gone I will bring you back out again." He only locked one of the latches to allow some airflow, and as he did he had to wonder about what they might say to him once the situation blew over.

Though Colfax was the second-to-last person he wanted to hear reassurance from (with Sawyer taking last by a mile at the moment), Charlie still managed to find some comfort in the words.  _ Only a short time _ , he repeated to himself, the thought running on repeat through his head as he tried to calm his racing heart. Meanwhile Sawyer, being as cautious and silent as any experienced viri, crept up to the front of the box. The latch that Colfax had left undone not only let in air but a bit of light as well, and from the right angle Sawyer could see out through the tiny crack and look into the room. The viri held his breath as there was the sound of a slight commotion outside the room, before the door opened and Adrian’s mother walked in. It would seem that they had made it to safety just in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit more action this time! We try to keep things exciting around here.


	18. Chapter 18

“Oh Adrian dear, don’t make such a fuss, I don’t mind if the room’s a mess,” the woman said, waving away her son’s protestations. Sawyer could immediately see her resemblance to Adrian, though she walked with a bit more grace and her hair was a bit lighter. Her intent to examine the room was interrupted as she noticed Colfax standing there, and she broke into a smile. “Colfax, dear,” she greeted him warmly, “Adrian hadn’t said you were over! It’s so good to see you, it’s been so long.” She walked over and enveloped him in a hug, and in the box Sawyer had to hold back a snicker. He wished he could see Colfax’s face, he was sure the human’s reaction to such a forward gesture was priceless.

Adrian felt like he let his guard down for only a second. But that was all it took for his mother to get past him to continue her self-given tour of the apartment. He rushed after her, ready to follow her into the bedroom and distract her attention; but his near-panicked glance at the dresser said it all. The abandoned dishtowel remained, looking as innocuous as a dust rag in a yet-to-be-cleaned room. But where were Charlie and Sawyer? His pale eyes went to Colfax, who stood in front of the bedside table. Before Adrian could catch his eye, Colfax was the momentary center of attention, receiving a hug from Adrian's mother. Adrian almost smirked in amusement at Colfax's resigned face, but he was still too worried to smile.

Colfax had known this was coming the moment he heard her voice calling from the other room. Adrian's mother hugged Colfax without fail when she saw him, most likely because she couldn't hug Adrian very much without him getting uncomfortable. Lucky Colfax. He returned the gesture stiffly, his face masking the tension he felt. That was close. Way too close. "Elle, it's good to see you, too," he greeted when she finally released him and stepped back to look at his face. Suddenly he felt like the viri's hiding place behind him was too obvious. How could he be so stupid? There was no way she wouldn't notice, right? He glanced at Adrian to see his friend was quite worried, too.

Elle didn't notice a thing. "Colfax, what did I tell you about being a stranger? And it looks like you still don't get enough sleep, poor thing," she scolded him, but she was smiling.

Adrian had to draw the conversation in his direction again. If he was correct, Colfax had just hidden Charlie and Sawyer in the first aid kit or in the nightstand drawer. "W-well, you know, he's got a lot of work to do still. G-glad I graduated out of all that hard work," he said with a chuckle, trying to sound casual and mostly succeeding. The stammer he couldn't quite hide, but thankfully that could be easily explained away. After all, he didn't like people to see his room untidy.

Elle turned and gave her son an affectionate smile. “Me too, dear. But it looks like you still have quite a bit of hard work to do here! Colfax, don’t let him get you too involved in his little projects.” She said it affectionately, well aware that Adrian would never do something like that intentionally. In the box, however, Sawyer had to hold back a chuckle. Little did she know just how involved in something Colfax already was- mostly by his own doing, but involved all the same. Behind him Charlie had calmed down enough to open his eyes and pay some attention to what was going on in the room outside. His hands were still shaking, but both he and Sawyer froze as Adrian’s mother suggested, “Want me to stay and help a bit?”

Adrian and Colfax had to share a quick-as-lightning glance at Elle's advice. Both of them were so relieved that Adrian's mother seemed completely oblivious to their secret. Colfax remained rooted to where he stood, feeling like the truth loomed behind him like a neon sign. He wondered how Charlie and Sawyer were handling the situation. He couldn't fathom being stuck in such a small space, no matter that it was all that kept them from being discovered. Elle was a very kind woman, but Colfax had a feeling that her reactions to the viri wouldn't help in the least.

Adrian raised his eyebrows when his mother asked if she could help. He knew her intentions were good, and he also knew that she wouldn't be shooed out of the apartment immediately. But thankfully he had a good answer. "Actually, Mom, I haven't washed all of my dishes yet. I have a box of new ones; do you think you could…?" Adrian scratched the back of his neck, almost embarrassed to be asking his mother to do his dishes for him. What was he, fourteen?

Elle, however, laughed. "Oh, that's my boy." She turned to Colfax. "Charming, isn't he? I couldn't say no, especially since I offered to help!" She seemed quite tickled at the request, though, which Colfax counted as a very good thing. Then, to Colfax's alarm, she glanced at the closed first aid kit on the bedside table. "Oh, before I go, let me put that away; the bathroom cabinet is the best place for those." She started to reach around Colfax for the handle of the plastic box. Adrian's face lost what color it had, but Colfax was there to react quickly.

"I've got it, Elle," he said quickly, putting a hand on her wrist and stopping her before she even touched the first aid kit. He even put on a charming smile of his own to put her off the trail. "You go on and help Adrian. I'll put the first aid kit away. I came to help today too, so at least I can sort out the bathroom."

She smiled back at him. "All right." She started out of the room. "Come on, Adrian, show me what you've got to do. I can hardly believe how much you've already cleaned, but I guess you do still have plenty, hmm?"

Adrian, his heart back where it belonged in his chest, wearily followed her. "You're right about that."

After they left, Colfax actually felt the tension leave his body and his legs shuddered. He turned and knelt before the first aid kit, unlatching the lid and lifting it partway to check on the viri. Even Colfax couldn't hide the traces of concern in his eyes. That was a couple close calls all in a row.

As the woman’s hand reached towards the box Sawyer scrambled back in a panic, his back against the plastic wall and his knees drawn up. His shoulder was pressed next to Charlie’s, and he could feel his friend shaking with the same fear that was coursing through his own system. Charlie clutched at Sawyer’s arm, breathing a sigh of relief as Colfax successfully diverted her, but neither of them relaxed much. They listened with hearts pounding as Adrian and his mom moved out of the room and into the kitchen, hardly able to breathe even as their voices faded away. A quiet snap alerted them to the fact that the kit was being opened, and they both looked up at Colfax as he peered inside.

Sawyer noticed the concern in Colfax’s eyes, and that alone made his heart pound as he realized fully just how much danger they had been in. “That was close,” he all but breathed, still sucking in gulps of air as he tried to calm down. Turning to Charlie, who was still wide-eyed and shaking, he asked, “You okay buddy?” Charlie swallowed hard but managed a nod. In somebody else Sawyer might have taken the silence as a bad sign, but even at his most talkative Charlie didn’t say much, so Sawyer figured he was fine enough. More than a bit dazed by recent events, Sawyer looked back up at Colfax and asked, “So are we going to have to move to the bathroom now? Or is she leaving soon?” Neither he nor Charlie minded the small spaces part of being in the box; after all, using small spaces was an integral part of their lifestyle, so they were used to it. It was more the fact that they were trapped there while a strange human milled about that bothered them.

Colfax brushed a hand back through his dark hair to see that, though they seemed a bit shaken, the viri weren't panicked or uncomfortable. He was sure that, if he were to listen to it, Charlie's heartbeat would be racing. That kind of stress was very bad for someone with a traumatic injury. Colfax thought of possible ways to avoid more close calls like that. His eyes narrowed faintly as he thought. "That's up to you," he finally said. It felt a little strange to be ceding such a decision to someone else instead of just taking his own initiative, but he continued. "I can put the box someplace she won't see it in there, or I can 'forget' it in here," he made air-quotes with his fingers. "She probably wouldn't notice. I think she'll help with dishes and some cleaning but Elle won't stick around too long; she wanted to check on Adrian, that's really all she's doing here."

The two viri considered their options. “Well,” said Sawyer, turning to face Charlie, “it’s up to you bud, you’re the one it really matters to.” Charlie looked with faint surprise at the two of them, a bit taken aback that both Colfax and Sawyer were handing the decision over to him. After all, he hadn’t exactly been given a say in the previous choices made that morning. He thought through it briefly, considering the pros and cons of each option. Then he remembered how awful it had been to move the first time, and how his heart was pounding and his leg was aching now because of it, and the decision seemed all too clear.

“I think we should just stay here,” he announced, looking between Colfax and Sawyer as if asking for their approval. “Li-like you said, she probably won’t notice. And I don’t think I could handle moving again.” What he really meant was that he couldn’t handle being moved again, but saying that was admitting just how helpless he was at the moment and how terrified he had been in Colfax’s hands. He didn’t even want to admit that to himself, much less the human in question, and so he kept it a bit simpler- easier for them to assume that he didn’t want to move because of his leg. Which wasn’t entirely false, as it was throbbing rather horribly, but it wasn’t entirely the truth either.

Sawyer gave his friend a smile and patted his arm comfortingly. “Sounds good to me bud,” he said, making the decision unanimous. Looking up at Colfax he added, “You can close the lid again now, I guess. We’ll just wait it out here nice ‘n quiet until Adrian’s mom leaves.” Neither he nor Charlie minded being in the box that much, and at the moment Charlie could probably use some time spent calmly in a bit of a smaller space. So long as nothing else became a threat they could sit there quite happily (or at the very least contentedly) until the house was safe for them again. Not to mention it was a bit of time spent away from any sort of human contact, which they could definitely use; somehow Sawyer doubted they’d be getting much time to themselves in the future.

Colfax waited for a reply, ready for a long pause. Charlie's quick response, however, didn't surprise him much. It was easy to see that all of the excitement was beginning to wear on him. So the human nodded, keeping his medical advice to himself for once. There would be time for that later if it was needed. "Understood. We will keep her out of here until she leaves." Then he stood once more, his knees grateful for the action. He closed the lid over them slowly to give them time to mentally prepare for it, but didn't latch it. As he was leaving, Colfax paused in the doorway to glance back, just once. He had been keeping his curiosity in check, but he still felt the occasional drive to observe and learn. He shook his head, his brow knitting into a perplexed look as his inner scientist quieted down once more.

In the kitchen, Elle set to filling the sink with hot water and soap. She stationed Adrian nearby with a towel, and soon they were in a rhythm of washing and drying the new-out-of-the-box dishes. She knew it would take some time for him to really get used to his new home, but she was glad he was letting her help today. He seemed stressed out today; moving in the day before was probably pretty hectic for the poor boy. "It's a really charming place, Adrian. And, you know, I'm really glad you and Colfax are back in touch."

Adrian shrugged his shoulders, trying to work out some of his stiffness. The unexpected visit had startled him, but thankfully it was only his mother. He knew better how to handle a surprise visit from Mom than he knew how to deal with the other stuff that had recently come to light. "Thanks. I really like it here. And yeah, I called him yesterday to... just to catch up, y-you know?" It was remarkable to think that, if not for meeting Charlie, he might not have gotten in touch with Colfax again. And if it weren't for his mother insisting on that stupid trap, Adrian would never have met  _ Charlie _ either. "What a world," he muttered to himself as he dried a dinner plate. Things had taken strange turns since he moved, that was certain.

After only a minute or two, Colfax joined them in the kitchen. He put away the dishes as Adrian dried them, not saying a word. Elle hummed to herself as the trio worked on the chore. She knew both of the men were quiet by nature, and she wasn't one to force too much conversation on them. Adrian managed to catch Colfax's eye once, and they shared an unspoken communication. His tall friend seemed lost in thought, but Adrian could at least glean that the viri were okay. "Um, well, I'm glad you both made it today to help. I appreciate it," he finally spoke up as the last of the dishes was stowed in the cupboard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa, forgot I left you guys at a bit of a cliffhanger last time. Shenanians and danger abound! Hope you all are still enjoying reading it, we sure are. As always, comments greatly appreciated!


	19. Chapter 19

In the minutes after Colfax left them Charlie slumped back against the plastic wall of the box, taking deep, even breaths and trying to calm himself down. It was no easy feat, but after a small bit of quiet and solitude he managed to reduce the frantic pounding of his heart and keep the shaking just to his hands. His head was throbbing, his leg hurt, and his chest was aching as if he hadn’t taken a normal breath in days, but at least his mind was relaxed enough to register all of that.

“I don’t think I can take much more of this,” he said quietly, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply through his nose. Even with Elle still in the house they ran no risk by talking to each other; their normal conversation volume would hardly be able to be heard outside of the box by a human, much less if they talked quietly.

Sawyer glanced over at his best friend with worry, not bothering to hide the deep concern in his eyes. “I know bud,” he softly replied, squeezing his shoulder in a gesture of solidarity. A twinge of guilt passed through him as he remembered the part he had played in his friend’s stress, but there was no use regretting the past. What was done was done, and with the circumstances they were given what was done was really for the best. “It’ll calm down a bit after this, I’m sure of it. The last twenty-four hours have been crazy, I know, but it can’t keep going like this.” After a pause and some thought he added, “Adrian won’t let it.” Colfax probably wouldn’t either, given the medical detriment that all the stress was causing Charlie, so that was something as well. With two humans looking out for their best interests (to the complete disbelief of the viri involved), life had to get a bit better than this. Charlie sighed, nodding slightly as Sawyer gave him a supportive smile.

Elle stayed for a few minutes more to chat briefly with Adrian and Colfax. The small talk ended when she glanced at her watch. "Oh, gosh. I was going to visit your aunt today, so I need to head out." Adrian sighed as she gave him a quick peck on the cheek, glad to be done acting secretive. He smiled as Colfax accepted Elle's tight hug. She gave him a kiss on the cheek too before picking up her purse. "Alright, boys. Gotta run. I wanna take you to lunch sometime next week. Let me know?" With their assurance that they would, she left.

Adrian's shoulders slumped. He went to the kitchen and got a glass of water, guzzling the liquid down quickly. Colfax waited patiently for him to finish before speaking. "Don't worry now. There shouldn't be any more unexpected visits today." He spoke in a somewhat neutral tone, but Adrian was grateful for his attempt at comforting words and he nodded wearily.

"I guess I'd better go check on my guests," Adrian finally said. He headed down the hallway and Colfax hung back, letting him lead. Adrian peeked into the room, walking softly to the nightstand where the first aid box lay. He knelt before slowly opening the box to check on its occupants. A look of guilt filled his face. "Sh-she's gone," he announced. "I'm really sorry, I didn't expect her to show up today..." He worried they would be angry, or worse, that their already-shaky trust in him and in Colfax would be damaged irreparably.

While Elle was still in the house Charlie and Sawyer had conversed quietly in their box, talking about surprisingly normal topics to pass the time. They fell silent as footsteps approached the room, and though it was probably just Adrian and Colfax, they couldn’t help their hearts from pounding a bit faster as the humans stopped in front of the first aid kit. The lid was raised and Adrian’s worried face filled their vision. Charlie let out a small sigh of relief, and Sawyer cracked a quirky grin up at him. Adrian stammered out an apology, which Sawyer immediately waved away. “Don’t you worry about it,” he said in reply, and Charlie nodded emphatically in agreement. “Mothers will be mothers, they don’t pay much mind to when they’re expected or not.”

Charlie looked past Adrian to where Colfax was hanging by the door, biting his lip slightly as he thought through his options. He kind of wanted to return to his comfortable spot up on the dresser, but he by no means wanted to put himself in human hands again. He wasn’t even sure if moving was a good idea at the moment, what with all the stress he had been through just that morning. After a moment he decided he would simply ask. Looking up at Adrian he said softly, “I’d like to go back up on the dresser, but I’m not sure if it’s okay to move more…” He trailed off, leaving the question open to whomever had a solution. Sawyer coughed self-consciously and looked away, keeping his mouth shut on this one. He’d already had enough “ideas” for Charlie that morning; if he came up with another one his mild-mannered friend would probably strangle him.

Adrian was quite relieved to see that the viri seemed okay, and that they weren't upset about the unexpected visit. Thankfully Colfax was around to help move them to safety; if he hadn't been over, there was no way Adrian would have been able to safely hide Charlie and Sawyer. He pursed his lips at Charlie's question, unsure of what to answer. He turned to look at Colfax, who hadn't heard the softly spoken words from where he waited. "D'you think it's okay to move Charlie back to his spot on the dresser there? There's no reason to keep them cooped up in the box anymore, after all."

Colfax stepped forward, gazing into the box from a step or two away. He shrugged slowly. "It's perfectly fine to move if you want to, Charlie. The only thing that would make it unsafe was if you were in any way not okay with it. That can make you tense up; I'm sure you can see why that wouldn't be good." He paused, tilting his head as he thought. It would be a lot easier if he thought that he or Adrian could move Charlie without scaring the little guy like before. A thought came to him and he stepped forward. "Let me try something," he muttered as he retrieved some things from the box, carefully avoiding bumping into the viri or disturbing their open space. He set two tongue depressors and a roll of bandages on the nightstand and started his attempt at crafting a solution that would allow Charlie to be moved without direct contact.

If he were not okay with it… well of course Charlie wasn’t okay with it, he tensed up just thinking about being carried. Obviously that wasn’t going to work. Before he could voice this aloud, however, Colfax muttered something and started rummaging around in the first aid stuff next to them. As his hand approached Charlie squeaked and quickly looked away, his heart hammering but trying not to show it. After all, it wasn’t very helpful of him to be scared of everything, but knowing that did nothing at all to alleviate his fear. It was too deeply ingrained to be overcome in just a day. Sawyer, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be troubled by Colfax’s proximity at all. In fact, when Colfax removed the supplies and started assembling things Sawyer hopped out of the box and walked over to him. Charlie watched his friend with a bit of longing, admiring his bravery and the blasé attitude with which he approached the human. Everything would be so much easier if Charlie were that fearless.

Adrian watched for a second, but glanced at the viri and shrugged before asking "Um. Colfax, what are you doing?"

"Trying to make a stretcher," Colfax answered curtly, absorbed in the task at hand. Arian thought for a second, then nodded. It would probably be safer than trying to carry Charlie in their hands; that risked injury if they even twitched the wrong way.

Sawyer walked right up to where Colfax, or rather his hands, were fiddling with the tongue depressors and bandages. When the human said he was making a stretcher the viri nodded, a bit impressed with the young doctor’s ingenuity. Not only was it probably a useful thing to have around, but it would allow Charlie to be moved without direct contact, and that just might be enough for him to be okay with the whole thing. After a few moments of watching Colfax’s big fingers struggle with tying the bandages, Sawyer shifted from his spot a few inches away and asked, “Need some help with that?” He held up his much smaller hands and wriggled his fingers with a wry smile, offering his services wherever they would be useful.

Colfax didn't notice right away that Sawyer had offered to help. After a couple seconds, though, his sharply focused eyes flicked to the viri's tiny offered hands. He glanced at his progress so far; considering what he had to work with, it wasn't terrible. But even he knew that the corners would require more dexterity than he had without the proper tools. So, he moved his hands out of the way and nodded, inviting Sawyer to finish off the makeshift stretcher. It was an excellent opportunity to note how crafty the viri could be.

Once Colfax had moved away (actually even a little before his hands were completely clear) Sawyer walked over and appraised the work at hand. For a human, Colfax had actually done a pretty good job at cobbling it all together; at least he had done all the hard parts, like putting the tongue depressors together and wrapping the bandages around them. All that was left really was tying off the corners to make sure it all didn’t come unraveled once they used it. Sitting on one of the corners, almost straddling it, Sawyer took up both ends of the bandage there and went to work, tying the ends up and around each other and the stretcher to secure them, before finishing up with a complicated little knot that somewhat resembled those sailors use.

Adrian smiled, intrigued at Sawyer's bravery in approaching Colfax while he was working on something. He glanced at Charlie and saw that he still seemed tense and quite worn out. He wondered if some normal conversation would ease his worried demeanor at all. It was worth a shot. "I just realized, you guys probably have to build all kinds of things from household stuff, huh?" He imagined what it would be like to build something entirely out of the contents of a junk drawer. "That's pretty amazing. What's the most useful thing that you build with, Charlie?"

Charlie was somewhat startled by Adrian’s question being directed at him, as he had been watching Sawyer work. He recovered quickly, however, and turned his thoughts towards the question at hand. Amazing, huh… he supposed it would probably seem that way, to a human who used everything as it was meant for them, but building things from other things was as normal to viri as breathing. “That’s a hard question,” he said thoughtfully, looking up at Adrian as they talked. “Everything is useful if you put your mind to it. I suppose string is the one thing I could always use more of- it’s useful for just about everything.” He paused slightly before saying just what exactly everything entailed, as a familiar conflict between the Code and his trust in Adrian was making alarm bells go off in his head. It was hard, he really did trust him, but as time had shown trusting one human with something could always lead to another knowing about it. So he just left it there, though he bit his lip and looked away slightly, almost ashamed to be keeping even small things from Adrian after all the genuine help the human had given him.

Adrian wasn't fazed by the short answer. He was used to talking to Colfax, after all. Sometimes he didn't even get single-word replies. "I bet, " he said with a nod. "String is universally useful I guess." He glanced at Sawyer's progress and noted how deftly he tied the knots. He looked back and saw Charlie's worried expression. Adrian wasn't sure what he was thinking, so he spoke a little hesitantly in a quiet attempt to encourage the viri. "Well, you'll be back to collecting strings and other stuff in no time at all."

“I hope so,” Charlie sighed, attempting a smile up at Adrian but without his heart really in it. Not only did a time when his leg was fully healed seem very far away, but the future was so uncertain. He still wasn’t entirely sure whether or not he would be staying once he didn’t have to, or what his life would be like after such a decision, regardless of the outcome. Nothing was going to be normal again after this- not even ‘collecting strings and stuff’ as Adrian had so affectionately termed it. Could he really go back to living normally around humans after an experience like this? And more importantly, would he even be physically able to with his leg? There was just too much to think about, and most of it they would simply have to find out after a bit of time. So, while he appreciated Adrian’s attempts at conversation, any thought about the future (or most things, really) couldn’t help but be a bit distressing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Charlie's had a rough time of things. :( But don't worry, things are going to get better! For him at least. ^^;


	20. Chapter 20

Colfax listened to the conversation while he watched Sawyer fix up the stretcher quite skillfully.  _ String, _ he thought.  _ Of course it would be the best choice for a lot of things. It's not like they can safely use glue or tape. _ When he heard Adrian's tone change to something more reassuring than conversational, he glanced at Charlie. Colfax wasn't very good at empathizing, but he was certain that at this point, the viri felt very weary and cornered by his circumstances. He shook those thoughts away; it wouldn't help to start pitying him. Action was greater than pity every time.

"That's impressive work, Sawyer," said Colfax. Indeed, it was almost like building something out of materials meant for other use was some sort of instinctual skill. Colfax wondered what Sawyer and Charlie could make if he gave them free rein of his apartment.

“Thanks,” said Sawyer, standing up and dusting off his hands on his pants after he finished the last knot. “Ain’t nothin’ much. So that’s what you were goin’ for, then?” The finished project wasn’t very impressive – little more than a flat surface held together by bandages – but if it could help Charlie move about without directly touching the humans then it didn’t have to look pretty, it just had to work. Sawyer looked up and around at the others, something which could have been taken as an eager smile tweaking the corners of his mouth. “Wanna go ahead and try it out?” He glanced over at Charlie, who rolled his eyes at his friend but nodded anyways. No time like the present, after all, and prolonging the inevitable challenge of movement was only going to make him dread it more.

Colfax almost smirked at Sawyer's readiness to try out his handiwork. If he was honest with himself, Colfax wanted to try it out sooner than later too. He had started making it unsure if it would work out. He reached into the first aid kit to move some things aside and make room before depositing the stretcher next to Charlie. After a second of thought, he said, "You may need to help him onto it, Sawyer."

Adrian was concerned with Charlie's mood. He definitely seemed to have some heavy thoughts on his mind. But he was distracted when Sawyer stood up, having finished his work. He looked at the miniature stretcher, curious about how well it would work. After Colfax set it next to Charlie in the box, Adrian gave him an encouraging smile. "Well, do you think it will work?"

Charlie started nervously as Colfax maneuvered things beside him, though he tried his hardest not to. He flinched backwards a little as the stretcher (held by Colfax’s fingers, of course) was deposited right next to him, though the action was so small he hoped neither of the humans had noticed it.

“Right, on it,” Sawyer said in reply to Colfax’s suggestion. He swung himself gracefully over the edge and into the box, landing in front of Charlie’s feet with a grin. As Charlie was currently preoccupied with lifting himself onto the homemade stretcher, with a bit of help from Sawyer of course, the uninjured viri saw to answering Adrian’s question. “Yeah, I think it’ll work fine enough,” Sawyer said glibly, letting go of Charlie and letting him deal with getting his leg on the stretcher in whatever way he thought best. “I tied those knots fine, so it’s a solid piece of work. Not a real complicated idea neither, so I don’t see how it could really go wrong.”

Charlie could imagine plenty of ways how it could go wrong- even though he wouldn’t be directly in contact with one of the humans, which was something at least, there was still the tricky issue of being moved feet above the ground with no way to stop yourself if you fell (or worse, if you were dropped). For someone who was used to being completely independent, and having all sorts of rope and gear around when falling was an option, this forced helplessness wasn’t going over well. Of course, even if Charlie were to admit that he was feeling useless and trapped because of it, he would still hold that being moved about by humans wasn’t a good idea. That was plain common sense. Unfortunately, common sense seemed to have taken a leave of absence yesterday, so there didn’t appear to be another choice in the matter. Getting as comfortable as he could on the makeshift stretcher, Charlie looked up with trepidation at the two humans and reluctantly said, “Okay, I’m all set.”

Colfax was glad that the stretcher was large enough. Thinking proportionately, Charlie wasn't too close to the edge, so as long as he didn't move around too much he wouldn't be likely to make himself tip over. The other responsibility was on the human carrying the stretcher. But he was well aware that he had scared Charlie several times already, even just now. He hadn't even thought to move slowly when setting the thing down next to him. "Adrian, why don't you try it out," he said after a moment. He wasn't sure how his suggestion would go over, but he had a feeling that Charlie might be more comfortable with that option.

As the suggestion was made that Adrian should be the one to move him, Charlie couldn’t help but let out a small sigh of relief. It wasn’t that Colfax wasn’t careful with his movements, he was, but if Charlie was going to put his life into anybody’s hands (quite literally, in this case), he would much rather they be Adrian’s.

Adrian raised his eyebrows. He had thought that Colfax would be interested in testing out his own handiwork. "O-oh. Sure thing." He looked over the stretcher before making any moves. He offered Charlie a reassuring look and then gingerly reached into the box, very careful to avoid touching either of the viri inside. His hands were steady as he took each end of the stretcher and lifted it a couple inches. Before going any further, he paused and asked, "How does it feel? Ready to move?" He had to make sure that the viri weren't concerned about the quality of it before he went any further. Adrian was wary of how high up Charlie would be for a few critical seconds.

Sawyer scooted back to give Adrian more room as the human reached in and took each end of the stretcher, lifting it slowly and cautiously before stopping a few inches above the floor of the box. As he was raised Charlie gripped the edges of the stretcher with white knuckled hands, still not entirely comfortable with this new sensation of movement. When Adrian paused and asked his question, however, he forced himself to look up at the human. With a tense smile he replied, “It still feels stable. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” Which was to say, not at all, but that couldn’t be helped.

In the few steps it took Adrian to return to the dresser, Charlie held his breath, keeping his eyes trained on the wall so that he wouldn’t be tempted to look down. As far as recent experience went it wasn’t that bad; there was no feeling of human hands around him, and his leg wasn’t jostled at all. Still, the knowledge that he was so high up made his heart pound, and he tried not to think about how there were really only some tied together sticks and ribbons of cloth between him and a fatal plunge. Needless to say, he was relieved to be set back down on the dresser.

After that was done, Sawyer, who had been watching from his seat in the first aid kit, stood up and jumped out onto the bedside table. Walking over to the edge, he reached out and tugged on Colfax’s sleeve to get his attention. “Colfax!” he said, giving the human a grin when he turned around. “My turn!”

Colfax had a challenge cut out for him when he had to conceal his surprise at Sawyer's simple words. Looking down at the viri standing on the table next to him, he saw a relaxed, fearless face. Where less than twenty-four hours ago was breathless fear, Colfax now saw... trust? It was almost even more unnerving. Colfax wordlessly offered Sawyer a steady hand. It seemed like Sawyer's trepidation about being carried had never even existed; Colfax didn't feel even the faintest shiver before setting the viri down next to his friend on the dresser. The human had an odd, introspective look in his eyes, and he still said nothing as he thought about the last several hours.

After making sure that Charlie was set down safely, Adrian turned his head to watch Colfax and Sawyer as the pair joined them at the dresser. He could see that his friend was quite thrown by Sawyer's friendly demeanor. Colfax was used to his sharp words and intense apathy driving people away. Adrian suspected that it was even tougher for Colfax to understand the viri now that he recognized them as people. He spoke up to try to shake his brooding friend out of his confusion for the moment. "That was a good idea, and it looks like it works!" He offered the pair a thumbs up. "I guess the next step is for me to dust off one of my house models; the doors might be a little bit short for you guys, though, I think they're designed to a smaller scale. Sawyer's head might brush the frame. That's okay, though, right? And, maybe, since making that stretcher went so well, we can figure out a crutch so Charlie can be up and about again." He could feel himself beginning to ramble, so Adrian made himself stop there with a sheepish smile.

Colfax blinked and nodded. Then, he turned a steady gaze to Charlie, or more specifically, Charlie's injured leg. He tried to visually measure what he would need if he were to create a cast. Assuming he would have Sawyer's help and assuming Charlie allowed the procedure to happen, it would be very simple. He cleared his throat faintly before speaking. "Certainly; we shall see if Charlie is feeling up for it after he's had some time to rest from this recent stress."

Colfax wasn’t the only one taken aback by Sawyer’s quickly developed trust in the humans; Charlie was still completely staggered by it, and truth be told there was a nagging part in the back of Sawyer’s mind that was bothered by it as well. Still, Sawyer argued with himself, there wasn’t much point in complicating matters: the humans had proved themselves to be trustworthy more than once, they had no other options, and really, it wasn’t all as bad as they had thought it would be. A great deal of his original fear had come from his previous assumptions about humans and feeling like he wasn’t in control. Well, most of those assumptions had been proved false and he was in control of everything again (well, most everything- at the very least he knew that Colfax wouldn’t ever snatch him up without his permission now), so there was really nothing to worry about. It was as simple as that.

Meanwhile, Charlie was still trying to catch up with everything that was going on. With Sawyer taking a seat beside him after helping him slide off of the stretcher and onto the now familiar wood of the dresser, the viri thought through the human’s ideas. “Time to rest,” he said wryly, and mostly to himself, “What a novel idea.” Coughing a bit in embarrassment at talking aloud to himself in front of everybody, Charlie quickly moved on and said, a bit louder this time, “Yes, that all sounds good. I’m sure your model will be more than fine, Adrian; Sawyer’s used to ducking a bit around my place, he’s tall for a viri. Over six whole inches.” At this Sawyer smiled proudly and gave them an enthusiastic thumbs up. Most viri couldn’t boast of a height anywhere near that, especially not Charlie; he was only five and a quarter if he was standing up straight. Charlie gave Adrian an appreciative smile and added, “Thanks again for all you’ve done for us.” It was a statement that could have been taken in a cynical way, but Charlie truly meant it. Adrian  _ had _ done a lot for them, and he was ever so grateful for it.

"No problem at all!" Adrian replied jovially. "I'm happy to help, and Colfax is too, even if he doesn't always show it." The last statement earned a faint chuckle and smirk from the taller human.

Colfax couldn't help but file away the information about the viri's respective heights. So Sawyer was tall for a viri, that meant that he was most likely the biggest example he or Adrian would ever meet. Standing at six foot four himself, Colfax wondered silently if differences in human height mattered that much to the viri, or if he and Adrian both looked equally large in their eyes. At least, regarding staying hidden, their size only proved to be an advantage. A sudden thought came to him. "If you are ever unable to get under cover quickly enough when someone visits, staying as still as you can is the best option."

"Oh, yeah," Adrian chimed in with a nod. "It might not have worked today because mom was too curious, but now that she's gotten to see the place she'd probably just assume you were models for one of my projects and look right past ya." Adrian realized then that such a strategy was probably already well known to them; sometimes the best place to hide was in plain sight.

Both viri nodded thoughtfully at this advice. Of course it was something they’d already been taught as an option, especially in households where small trinkets or child’s toys were common. Still, it was always a last resort, as it came with more risks than they were really comfortable with; namely, that somebody may pick them up out of curiosity or on accident, and that had the potential for disaster.

“Yeah, we’ll keep that in mind,” Sawyer said gruffly. Especially since Charlie couldn’t move at the moment without help, it might be a strategy they would have to use at some point in the future. Turning to another matter, he looked up at Colfax and said, “Before this whole thing with Adrian’s mom we were going to go back to our house, weren’t we, so that I could pick up my stuff? Think we could still do that?” He didn’t mind staying at his own place normally, but now that he had seen Charlie (and seen the unlucky occurrences that tended to happen around his unfortunate friend) he wanted to stay with him as much and as soon as possible.

At that Charlie tugged on Sawyer’s sleeve, and when his friend turned to him whispered, “Hey, be careful, okay?” The words were too quiet for the humans to hear; not because he didn’t trust them, but because the words were for Sawyer only. “I know… I know you’re, um, comfortable with Colfax now, and I think that’s helpful but- but just, just be careful?” He looked at his friend pleadingly, worry flooding from his eyes. “I mean, he is still human, and the world out there hasn’t changed, and the way you travel with him…” Charlie had to repress a shiver imagining Sawyer sitting up on Colfax’s shoulder again, way up there with no way to guarantee he wouldn’t fall. Even the idea terrified him.

Sawyer smiled comfortingly at him and, after a friendly pat on the back, whispered, “Don’t worry bud. I’ll be careful.”

Colfax nodded at the request. In truth he had forgotten it in all of the commotion. He started to offer a hand but paused when Charlie pulled Sawyer back. His ears strained to hear their whispers, but they were far too faint for him. Instead, he reached up to the collar of his shirt, turning it up in preparation for his passenger. A glance at Adrian revealed that his friend was poorly concealing an amused smirk with his hand. Colfax rolled his eyes and, without warning, reached out and brushed Adrian's wrist. He had a smirk of his own when Adrian's expression turned into a momentary pout. Victory was sweet.

Adrian shook his hand at his side. The contact had been faint, but still felt as strange as it always did. He turned to the viri as their whispered conversation ended. Colfax offered Sawyer a hand and Adrian wondered if he would ever be capable of the same. "What's that like, Sawyer?" he asked. The question just slipped out. But after seeing the viri step onto Colfax's palm willingly so many times, he was curious. He knew Colfax had some of the steadiest hands, but the height had to be quite something to behold.

Sawyer couldn’t help but grin at the question as he stepped up onto Colfax’s hand and crouched down for balance. “It’s, ah, it’s somethin’ else,” he said, a somewhat nervous laugh making its way out of his mouth. “Despite what y’all may think I’m still not really used to it.” He tried to compare it to what he knew of the human world so that Adrian could understand it better. “It’s sort of like getting onto an elevator where there are no ceiling or walls and where the floor is made of couch cushions, and trusting that the elevator knows what the hell it’s doing and won’t drop you as it shoots up ten floors.” A rather mangled description, but hopefully it got the basic sensation across. In a rare moment of introspection Sawyer wondered what it was like for them, as humans. It had to be strange, suddenly trying to see from such a different perspective. After all, the worldview of the viri had always included humans, but the worldview of the humans rarely included viri.

“He makes it sound tame,” Charlie piped up from his seat on the dresser. “It’s really much more terrifying than that.” Especially when the rider in question wasn’t exactly willing in the first place. Sawyer just grinned at him, before clambering off of Colfax’s hand and onto his shoulder. He settled himself in between the collar and Colfax’s neck a bit more easily this time, though it was still an awfully strange sensation to be so close to the human.

Regardless, Sawyer was glad that the human’s hand hovered beneath him until he was fully settled; it was a long way to the floor, and he tried his best to refrain from looking down. He wasn’t afraid of heights by any means, he just had a survivalist’s respect for them. Charlie couldn’t help a shudder run through him as he looked up at Sawyer’s position. Even though he wasn’t the one sitting up there the concept still scared the living daylights out of him. Sawyer took his hand off of Colfax’s neck to give his friend a thumbs up, which he knew would freak Charlie out. True to form the viri on the dresser motioned madly for him to put his hand back and shouted, “Be careful!”

Adrian's eyes became glassy for a second or two as he pictured Sawyer's description. He had to smile when Charlie interjected. It was clear that Charlie was the more cautious of the diminutive pair. Adrian couldn't help but take his side. At least Colfax was careful in all of his movements as he ferried the viri around. Still, Adrian noticed that Colfax had adopted a careful tension as soon as Sawyer was situated. It was a strange sight, to be sure. "Well, travel safely, guys," he said.

Colfax felt odd to have Sawyer on his shoulder once more. If he turned his head too far, he risked knocking his passenger down, but at the same time he itched to look and make sure he was secure. He inclined his head faintly at Adrian's farewell. He glanced down and saw Charlie's worried expression. After a brief pause, he chose to say something. "I will bring him back safe." He kept his volume lower than he had already been doing for Sawyer's benefit. He couldn't quite modify his expression to a sympathetic one at will, but the words were sincere. He turned to leave without waiting for a response; he still wasn't that good at being reassuring, after all.

“God, I hope you do,” Charlie said to himself as Colfax, with Sawyer atop, strode out of the room. He watched along with Adrian as the two of them left the house, closing the door behind them and leaving a silence that seemed to settle like a weight across Charlie’s worried shoulders.

Adrian had to resist the urge to run to the window and watch until Colfax and Sawyer departed. Instead, he focused a concerned gaze on Charlie, who still seemed quite troubled. He wished he could help, but Adrian knew that, with all that had happened since the day before, very little could be done to comfort Charlie's worries. He decided to speak and give them both something to focus on for a while. "Well, since we have some time, I can get my boxes with my models and you can see if any of them will work, or if we need to design a new one." This, at least, would offer Charlie a chance to have control over  _ something _ amidst all the excitement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A much longer chapter than usual, but for once I had a natural stopping point so I went with it. Things are finally getting to a normal state, but nothing's ever really normal when both humans and viri are involved...


	21. Chapter 21

There was no one in the apartment building hallway, so Colfax muttered under his breath as he walked. "There may be more people out by now. Be ready to duck." With that said, Colfax stepped outside, walking like he didn't have a secret.

“Right,” Sawyer whispered, certain that Colfax would be able to hear it due to his startling proximity to the human’s ear. Then they were outside, and Sawyer ducked down preemptively as his eyes blinked madly to adjust to the sudden brightness of the sunlight. Once he had stopped seeing spots, he took a look at their surroundings, or what little he could see from in between Colfax’s neck and his collar.

Colfax had been right, there were more people out and about now that it was later in the morning, and Sawyer couldn’t help but shrink nervously towards the back of his little niche at the sight of too many humans walking about too close for comfort. Luckily most of them seemed to be too involved with their own lives to notice Colfax as he walked past, and the car was parked very close to Adrian’s apartment. Still, Sawyer couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as Colfax slipped into the car and closed the door behind him, shutting out the sound of a whole neighborhood of humans going about their morning business.

“We’re going to have to figure something else out,” Sawyer muttered, though he had no idea what that “something else” might be. “This is way too risky.” He was much too exposed up on Colfax’s shoulder; if a human so much as glanced up at Colfax then he was all but spotted. In the earlier hours it hadn’t been so dangerous, but any other time of day they were taking an enormous chance by even stepping foot outside with him up there. The last thing they needed was yet another human aware that viri existed. Sawyer hated to admit it to himself, but he was going to have to give up a bit of comfort in the transportation area if they wanted to be safe about it.

Colfax couldn't help but agree with Sawyer's quiet musings. It made him nervous enough to walk around with the viri exposed without other humans nearby. As he drove back home, he tried to think of an alternative. He thought that his pockets were probably too confined to be safe or comfortable, so that idea was out. He stayed quiet through the short drive home. After he parked, a glance around told him that the only others around were an older couple on a walk.  _ Good. We can figure something out once safely inside, _ he thought as he exited his car and started a brisk walk towards his building.

He didn't see the bike courier until they were right next to him. Colfax stiffened just in time for the rider's shoulder to clip his own. Colfax stumbled and the courier didn't even glance back. Colfax didn't care. His hands immediately went to his neck to catch his passenger before he fell. His breath caught when he found no one there. Dark eyes scanned the ground frantically, but otherwise Colfax was as a statue, his heart quickening. What would he do if he couldn't find Sawyer?!

They were so close to the building when it happened that Sawyer had already written himself off as safe, which of course was his first mistake. The jolt came out of nowhere, and before he could even curse he was falling forward and getting a terrifying glimpse of the sidewalk so far below him. Arms and legs flailing, he scrambled for a hold, but only succeeded in slipping down Colfax’s shirt. With a terrified yell he plummeted downwards, only to halt suddenly where the human’s shirt was tucked into his pants. Heart hammering from the fall, and slowly coming to the realization that he was still alive, Sawyer fought to get his breath back. No easy feat, in his current position; he was pressed rather uncomfortably between the thick fabric of Colfax’s polo and the human’s bare skin. Not that he was complaining, as the fact that Colfax tucked in his shirts was currently the only reason he wasn’t dead on the ground.

The shaken viri, almost hyperventilating, tried to sit up in the confined space but soon gave it up as a lost cause. “Colfax!” he shouted at the top of his lungs, at the moment not really caring if other humans heard him. At the moment he just wanted to be  _ found _ . “COLFAX!” He pounded on the abdomen next to him with his fist, hoping it would be enough to get the human’s attention. Funny, a day ago Colfax’s attention would have been the last thing he wanted, but oh how the circumstances had changed. Now he understood where Charlie’s worry had been coming from; after a fall like that, he didn’t particularly feel like being up at human height ever again.

Colfax felt Sawyer's presence an instant before he heard the muffled yell and felt the frantic strikes like butterflies on his abdomen. He resisted the urge to look down right then, hoping that the viri didn't show too obviously. Instead, Colfax gently placed his hand over where Sawyer squirmed, in part to let him know he'd been found and in part to keep him from shifting as Colfax resumed walking even more carefully than before. The last thing they needed was for some errant motion to pinch the viri or something equally painful. He knew he might incur some of Sawyer's wrath for not releasing him immediately, but the old couple had looked over in concern.

Mere minutes later, they were back in the apartment. Colfax still had to hold Sawyer in place as he untucked his shirt to keep him from tumbling to the floor. As soon as the fabric was free, he positioned his free hand just underneath the viri and released Sawyer to land gently on his palm. He couldn't hide the concern on his usually stoic face as he looked the smaller man over for injuries. He sat slowly at his desk, resting his hand on the surface for Sawyer to dismount if he so desired. "Sawyer, I'm... " he trailed off, his brow knitting. How could he apologize enough? His failure to remain vigilant had nearly gotten someone  _ killed. _

Colfax’s hand pressed in on Sawyer, effectively keeping him pinned against the human as he resumed walking. Though Sawyer didn’t like the feeling at all, and still felt as if he couldn’t breathe, he understood why Colfax would want to make it into the apartment first. The last thing they needed was another disaster outside. Balancing himself with one hand pressed against Colfax’s and the other against the skin next to him, Sawyer tried his best not to squirm or shift as the human moved. Finally Colfax stopped, and Sawyer yelped in surprise as the fabric was pulled out from under him, though the human’s hand kept him pinned in place. Then Colfax let go, and Sawyer had a short, if equally terrifying, drop into the hand waiting below. The viri scrambled to right himself as Colfax sat down, and once his hand was on the table Sawyer slid off gratefully onto the steady surface

Sucking in great gulps of air, and shaking so badly that he could hardly sit upright, Sawyer gradually reassured himself that he was still alive. Insofar as he could tell, nothing was broken or injured, and after a few moments of focusing on breathing deeply he was able to calm down a bit. Looking up at Colfax he saw that the human was looking at him with deep concern, which almost sent him into a panic again. If Colfax was worried enough to show it, then the fall must have been just as dangerous as Sawyer felt it was. Still breathing heavily, Sawyer said, “Never… never again.” He shook his head frantically, the adrenaline and fear rushing through his veins making the words all but spill out. “I don’t care if it’s in your goddamn pocket, there has  _ got _ to be a safer way for me to travel.”

Colfax knew he couldn't continue to beat himself up over it. What had happened happened, and now the only course of action was to move forward. Still, he had to clasp his hands in front of his chin to stop their tremors. Such an oversight could not be tolerated again. Of course he had safer ways to travel than that, though he was willing to bet Sawyer wouldn't like most of them. That is, until he heard the viri's blurted words. Colfax finally found the resolve he needed to revert to his usual neutral demeanor. He shifted his gaze towards Sawyer, who still shook with adrenaline. Yes, it had been an interesting experiment, but clearly his shoulder was no place for a viri.

"I am deeply sorry. I was careless and I nearly got you badly hurt." Or worse, his often-dormant conscience reminded him. He wished he knew better how to comfort people. With a faint sigh, he moved on to something he did know how to do, and that was planning ahead. "My pockets would not be safe, either, as they would be too constricted. We need to find something that will keep you both secure and hidden. I don't want you to suffocate." He glanced at his shelf in thought. There were some carrying cases for small animals there, but Colfax didn't suggest them. He didn't practice empathy very much, but he knew at least that if he were a viri, he wouldn't want anything to do with such a thing.

“Yeah, I don’t want me to suffocate either,” Sawyer muttered, finally calmed down enough to stand up. His legs were still a bit shaky, but there was something to be said for a hard, stable surface and that comfort alone steadied him a little more. He rubbed his arms anxiously as he took a couple practice steps, making sure to stay away from the edge of the desk. Usually Sawyer was a daredevil, unafraid of heights, and he would get back to that attitude again- eventually. For now, though, he wanted to avoid another sense of vertigo. 

Pacing a bit to work out his lingering adrenaline, Sawyer let his eyes wander around the room and over Colfax, trying to keep his mind on the problem at hand and not on his recent harrowing experience. “I don’t know,” he eventually said, running a shaky hand through his hair and taking a deep breath. “I can’t think of any other options.” Finally looking back up at Colfax, who looked a bit more put-together to Sawyer’s relief, he sighed and asked, “You have any ideas?” Though Sawyer was technically the traveler in question, he thought that the human would probably have a better idea of what possibilities there were- after all, traveling around with a human wasn’t necessarily Sawyer’s specialty, but transporting beings smaller than him was Colfax’s.

Colfax was beyond relieved to see Sawyer walking around. For one thing, it meant he wasn't injured. For another, it meant he was already recovering from the severe shock of almost falling from a significant height; and, even better, he seemed well enough to mutter out a sarcastic response. That, in the grand scheme of things, was excellent progress. But Colfax was still momentarily stumped at how best to transport the viri safely. He leaned back in his chair, his hand pushing back through his hair as well, though he was unaware that he had just mirrored Sawyer. He kept glancing at his shelf, but couldn't bring himself to suggest those cases just yet. While they would certainly be safe, he knew they would only look like cages to even the least cautious viri.

He glanced down at the floor next to his desk and paused. Leaning over, he unzipped the top of his laptop bag. The inside would have plenty of space, though narrow. The sides were padded but firm enough to keep a roughly rectangular shape, so it'd be unlikely to squeeze any passengers. He could easily carry it at his side, as well, without even zipping it closed, and no one would ever suspect anything. "Would this suit you?" he asked as he lifted the bag and rested it on his lap, holding the top even with the desk and keeping it open so Sawyer could peer inside.

Sawyer walked over and looked in the bag, holding onto the edge as he squinted into the gloom below. It was certainly spacious enough; if the long, thin space were rearranged it would probably come close to the total area of his house in the walls. Plus it was padded, which was certainly safer and the idea of which Sawyer liked after his recent experience. The air inside would probably be a bit stuffy, but the top could stay open, so it wasn’t like he would ever run out of air. Best, it was something that other humans outside wouldn’t find even slightly out of the ordinary. He couldn’t believe he was thinking it, but he liked the idea overall. “Yeah, I suppose this would do just fine,” he said, taking a couple steps back from Colfax and the bag. Though he didn’t say it, he was more than a bit impressed that Colfax had come up with such a reasonable option.

Looking back up at the human he added, “Now that that’s all settled, could you maybe give me a lift to the floor? I gotta go get my gear and stuff so that we can get back to Cha- uh, Adrian’s.” It still felt weird, calling a place by the name of the human who owned it and not the viri who lived there. This was all still taking a bit of getting used to. Like the fact that he was willingly asking a human to help him get down to the floor; although once he had his climbing gear back that wouldn’t be nearly as necessary. For the moment, however, it was, unless he wanted to spend the next fifteen minutes cobbling stuff together.

He really did want to get back to Charlie as soon as possible. Despite now knowing the guy was in good hands, though usually not literally in that case, being away still kind of worried him. He wanted to be there to help him out and look out for him. After all, that’s what friends do.

Colfax didn't usually care whether or not others approved of his ideas, but even so he was glad that he'd found a mode of transportation that Sawyer accepted. He was almost surprised by himself. But as he discarded the bag next to his desk once more, he reasoned that his attention to Sawyer and Charlie's feelings was scientifically driven. After all, how could he learn from them if they were too busy hating him? It would put a serious obstacle in his way for sure. His musings were derailed when Sawyer requested help getting to the floor. Colfax knew enough by now that, if it came to it, Sawyer would be resourceful enough to get down on his own, gear or no gear. But still he'd asked Colfax.  _ There's that trust again, _ the human thought as he offered a steady hand. It brought the faintest of smirks to his eyes to think about it. Less than twenty-four hours before, Colfax had made one of the worst first impressions in his extensive history of bad first impressions. Sawyer's bravery in spite of that was impressive. As he ferried the viri to the floor, Colfax wondered if that meant he was making a new friend... somehow. It didn't seem likely considering his record; but it would be interesting to see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Sawyer... it's like you just attract the trouble to you... XD
> 
> Hmm, I was more behind on posting than I realized. This is a lot of new chapters! Oh well, at least you guys get to read them all together now, that's something. ^^


	22. Chapter 22

Sawyer hopped off onto the carpet once Colfax’s hand made it all the way down, waving a hand lazily at the human over his shoulder as he trekked back towards the wall. Normally he would have had an entrance up at the desk itself, like he did for other inconveniently high places like the cupboard, but some idiot carpenter had put a ridiculously thick beam in that area and he’d never been able to find a way through. So the floor it was, and as he reached the siding he pulled at a large chink in it and a door swung open with only slight protestation. His doors weren’t nearly as well made as Charlie’s were, mostly because he wasn’t a perfectionist. And really, it was under the desk and always had been, so it wasn’t like anybody (human or otherwise) was ever going to actually look at it.

As he made his way back to his rooms, which were mostly between the living room and Colfax’s bedroom, Sawyer had another rare moment of introspection. He was seriously becoming used to having all these humans around, and even despite his most recent scare he still seemed to trust Colfax a great deal more than he probably should. It felt completely natural, though, and that was the part that freaked him out the most.

He pondered this as he climbed back into his rooms, picking up various things he thought he would need as he passed through. In his bedroom he grabbed one of his larger, sturdier bags and began throwing things into it, everything from climbing gear to extra clothes. After all, if he was going to be staying with Charlie and Adrian for a while, it couldn’t hurt to be extra prepared. Slinging the now-full bag across his back he made his rounds around his house within a house, closing up everything just as he had done with Charlie’s rooms. Once he was satisfied that everything was hunky-dory he returned to the living room, making sure to come out of the same place he had gone in so as to not surprise Colfax.

Once Sawyer had disappeared into the walls, Colfax pushed away from his desk. He could feel a headache brewing at the back of his skull. All of the excitement combined with how little sleep he'd gotten was coming back to bite him. Luckily Colfax knew the cure. He went into his kitchen and, with the practiced motions of routine, put water in his electric, quick-heating kettle. In minutes he had boiling water to pour into a mug with a bag of chai tea. He took the first piping hot sip, wincing as it singed his throat. Before leaving the room, he glanced at the book he'd abandoned on the counter the day before.  _ Why not _ , he reasoned. After all, it could take a while for Sawyer to return. He picked up the book and went back to the living room.

As he passed the bookshelf, another errant thought struck him. He abandoned his first book on a high shelf and ran a hand along the spines of his other tomes, murmuring the titles. He found what he was looking for and pulled it out in a hurry, deftly opening it with one hand and leaning it against the other books. It had been a while since he'd read it, but the procedures printed on the pages were familiar. Of course, it would be much more involved to put a cast on a limb as small as Charlie's, but it would be best to brush up on the general process anyway. Facing away from his desk as he was, the human didn't notice when Sawyer reentered the room.

Even from his vantage point under the desk Sawyer could see that Colfax was standing at his bookshelf, presumably immersed in his own thoughts and therefore unaware that Sawyer had returned. With a grin Sawyer shrugged off his bag and set it on the ground, quickly and (out of habit) quietly drawing his climbing gear out of it. He could easily get up to the desk himself, and he was actually looking forward to it- it would be positively refreshing to use a normal mode of transportation for once. Slinging his bag diagonally across his back, Sawyer stepped out from under the shadow of the desk and peered up at it, completely undaunted by the perspective (it was normal, after all, not like the strange human height he’d been at for the majority of the day). 

With an expert motion he took his grappling hook, which was a fishhook somewhat dulled by use tied to a length of string, and threw it up to the top of the desk. It caught into a familiar groove and held as the viri tugged on it, his weight not enough to pull it off or even to mark the wood. Without so much as a grunt he started to climb up to the rope, shimmying to the top of the desk almost effortlessly. Within the course of a minute he had made it to the top of the desk, grinning as he pulled the hook off of the wood smoothly and looped the rope around his bag strap with a habitual movement. It felt so nice to do something so normal that he just smiled and took it in for a moment. Spotting Colfax’s laptop across the desk he walked over to it and sat down, resting his bag on the floor next to him as he waited for the human to pull himself out of his thoughts, whatever they may be.

Colfax had read several more passages before remembering what he was waiting for. His eyes flicked to the page number, memorizing it. Then he closed the book and left it on the shelf as he turned around. He was surprised to see Sawyer waiting on his desk already, and swallowed more tea than he intended. Thankfully it had cooled some. He walked over to the desk, eying the pack next to the viri. "That's it?" he asked, a faint smirk touching his features. It was still a bit amazing to think that these tiny folk lived all over the world, right underneath human notice. All teasing aside, he asked, "Have everything you need? The fewer back and forth trips the better." He took another sip of his tea, glad for the calming effect it was having. Indeed, soon he'd be ready for another adventure outdoors despite the last near miss.

Sawyer chuckled, but said, “Yeah, that’s ‘bout everything. Practically have the whole house packed in there, save the furniture.” Really there wasn’t much, at least not compared to human standards; like most viri, Sawyer lived rather frugally as far as clothes and the like went. Fashion tended to be a solely human concept, and as children viri were told the more practical the better. Not that that stopped children from putting wildflowers in their hair or painting on designs, but as an adult Sawyer stuck fairly close to the basics. Standing up off of the laptop Sawyer readjusted the pack, careful to avoid cutting himself on the fishhook looped around the strap, and looked up at Colfax. “Well,” he said with a bit of a sigh, “Suppose we’d better get goin’ then, huh?”

Colfax nodded faintly and drank the last of his tea. Then, depositing his mug on the desk, he knelt to retrieve his bag. Once again he held the top open, keeping it next to the edge of the desk. He noticed the hook on Sawyer's backpack strap, and had no concerns whatsoever about the viri's ability to settle himself into the bag safely. "I wonder, Sawyer, if you're up for testing out how well this works as a hiding place. If I... rather, if Charlie consents to having a cast on his leg, there are supplies I need from my lab on campus." He glanced at a clock quickly. "I could go later of course, though it's not out of our way." If school were still in session, he'd never suggest such a detour. But the semester was over, so he doubted many people would be around the labs.

The viri paused in his work unwrapping the fishhook, considering the suggestion. Part of him, the part still harrowed by the recent scare, wanted to say “no”. The rest of him, however, was already over that and back to his usual self- complete with the daredevil streak that ran through him and scared Charlie half to death on a regular basis. With a shrug he said, “Let’s do it,” and, without further ado, stepped up to where the open computer bag met the edge of the desk. Slipping the fishhook through some of the fabric at the lip of the drop, he kept the top part of the rope in hand and let the rest spiral downwards. He wouldn’t be able to remove the fishhook once he was at the bottom, but that wasn’t an issue; it was hardly noticeable, Colfax would probably keep the top open, and he would need it to get back up afterwards anyways. 

With the confidence of somebody used to doing things like this, Sawyer stepped up onto the bag and jumped into the opening. His arm muscles pulled taunt as his grip on the rope stopped his fall, and he began walking his way down the inside wall of the bag like a rock climber. Once he was far enough down he let go and landed at the bottom of the bag, his feet sinking slightly into the padded surface. The walls were rather narrow around him, but certainly nothing he couldn’t handle; and judging by the way his hands all but disappeared as he pushed in on them there was no danger of getting hurt, not by knocking against such a forgiving material. His eyes still adjusting to the dim light filtering in from above, blocked slightly by Colfax’s shadow, Sawyer made his way over to the corner of the bag and sat down. After wriggling into it a bit and making himself as comfortable as possible he gave a thumbs up to the human watching him from above, letting Colfax know that he was ready to travel.

Colfax didn't hide his faint smile as Sawyer settled himself into the bag. It was probably a bit like sitting in a bouncy house. He hoped that his brisk gait while walking wouldn't jostle the container around too much, but even if it did he doubted any harm would come to Sawyer. "This will be a quick side trip. The only people I expect to run into are some of my peers, maybe a professor." He paused, then thought of something that ought to reassure Sawyer of any doubts. "All of them are as absorbed in their work as I usually am."

_ Yeah, and they’d probably all be just as enthusiastic about finding a viri as you were, _ Sawyer thought to himself, but didn’t say anything aloud. He knew Colfax meant the best by his words, and surprisingly enough he trusted the human. Colfax just didn’t think like a viri, was all; which was natural, because he wasn’t one. 

That said, Colfax took the strap of the bag and lifted it over his shoulder, walking slowly toward the door. He waited before stepping out, in case Sawyer decided it wouldn't work for him. It was weird, carrying this bag around without his bulky laptop in it. He'd have to be sure he didn't give away how light it actually was.

As Colfax lifted the bag Sawyer reached out and pushed against the walls to keep his balance, not quite liking how everything shifted around him, but not necessarily hating it either. At least there wasn’t a chance of falling off of anything here. Above him the unzipped opening fell shut naturally, though it still let in a small sliver of light. Looking up at it, Sawyer could tell when Colfax walked outside, and he could certainly  _ feel _ when the human got in his car and set the bag down onto the passenger seat.

Shimmying back up the rope, Sawyer found a seat on the top of the bag, not wanting to miss the exciting car ride and figuring he was safe enough inside the vehicle. Looking around from this new vantage point he realized that the car itself blocked most of his view, though he could still see the buildings around them up through the windows. He was back at viri height for things, not human height like he had been on Colfax’s shoulder, and he was surprised to find himself disappointed about that. Sitting back where the bag rested up against the human-sized seat Sawyer mulled over their little detour. He had never been inside a college before, and he was actually pretty interested to see what it was like. Then there were the other humans there, “peers” Colfax had called them, not “friends”… if they were all like Colfax, then boy was he going to have to be careful.

Colfax found it much easier to relax when he didn't have to worry about someone noticing Sawyer up on his shoulder. He still moved somewhat gingerly, but now he could walk with purpose and look no different than he usually did. And the collar of his shirt was exactly as it should be. It would be no good to go to campus looking like a frat brother. As he began the drive, his musings were interrupted by motion in the corner of his eye. A quick glance over showed him that Sawyer was situating himself on top of the shoulder bag like it was a very tall booster seat. The human couldn't help but smirk.

"It's good to see you can hop out of that bag without any trouble," he said idly as he drove. In fact, it seemed that Sawyer's mobility had multiplied quite a bit just by having a hook and string. Colfax was hard pressed to imagine many places a viri  _ couldn't _ go, if properly supplied.

At the words Sawyer just grinned, chuckling a bit under his breath. “If I couldn’t even do that, I wouldn’t make a very good viri, would I?” he joked, raising his voice slightly to be heard over the sound of the car. A bit quieter, and more to himself, he added, “You should see the types of things I do around the apartment when you’re gone.” Climbing up a rope was basic business, a skill everybody had to have; heck, he could do that when he was five. It was a necessary survival skill. Sawyer, however, was a bit more of an adrenaline junkie, and sometimes he preferred more… dangerous ways to get around. It’s part of why he loved riding in the car so much- it went faster than anything he had ever experienced before, and was exactly the kind of thrill that he usually sought out. Charlie would probably freak if he ever set foot in one, but Sawyer was just soaking it all in.

_ Good point, _ Colfax thought, allowing himself a brief chuckle at the jest. What good was a bunch of climbing gear if you were no good at using it? He heard that Sawyer said something else, but didn't catch the words. He didn't press the matter, however, opting instead to watch the road as he drove. He did fall deep into thought about the capabilities of the viri. A ridiculous notion came to his head, of Sawyer running a maze or some other constructed obstacle course. Such things would probably be child's play. The implications of that much intelligence living in the  _ walls _ were quite significant. What if he, Colfax, had not decided to accept the viri as people?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, I got really behind on posting these, so there are many chapters to come. ^^;
> 
> I love writing more about the viri and how they see and do things, it's so much fun to develop them as a species. ^^ If you ever have any questions about them feel free to ask! I have loads of background and headcanons that will probably never be mentioned here.


	23. Chapter 23

He had to push those thoughts out of his mind as he pulled into the parking lot behind the lab building. It was wider than it was tall, and the veterinary science department dominated every room. Colfax pulled into his reserved parking spot near the doors (the perks of being a top student). So far the only other cars were a few beat up ones that he recognized belonging to two professors and one cleaning guy. He looked over at Sawyer. "Are you ready?"

“Yep!” Sawyer brightly replied, already halfway into the bag again. “Let’s do this.” He sounded a bit more confident than he actually felt, though he tried his best to push down the nerves. It would be a simple trip, just in and out, and Colfax would be able to get materials that would help Charlie. Besides, he was pretty interested in seeing inside Colfax’s college, and he was safe in the computer bag. It was a pretty low-risk venture; or at least, that’s what he told himself. 

His way back over to his corner was helped enthusiastically as Colfax picked up the bag, gravity and momentum sending him sprawling into the back of the bag. Picking himself up carefully he wedged himself back into his spot, looking up out of the small opening at the top once he was more stable. He couldn’t see very much, just the change of lighting and occasionally the side of Colfax’s head, but even the industrial lighting inside the building was a type Sawyer had never seen before. They’d hardly entered the college and already things were new! Sawyer’s heart began to beat a little faster as his body recognized a new environment, his senses instinctually on high alert for any sign of danger.

Colfax narrowed his eyes almost imperceptibly when he saw three students wandering the halls together. Their youth and lost expressions clued Colfax in immediately.  _ Dorm-dwelling freshmen, _ he thought disparagingly. And of course they approached him as soon as they saw him walking the halls. "E-excuse me, but Professor Harrison said we could come get our graded exams at his office...?" One girl said, though her voice trailed off as Colfax turned a naturally frosty glance down towards her.

"Fourth floor, other wing," he replied without breaking stride. He didn't wait to hear her stuttered thanks, instead turning down a side hallway to the lab where he worked. The lab itself was cluttered, with a different experiment set up at each table. One assistant professor snoozed next to a microscope, but Colfax went to the other side of the room. He gently set his bag on his own lab table, hoping not to jar its hidden passenger. He set about rummaging through the drawers, sending a cursory glance at the room's other human occupant. The man snorted once, shifted where he sat, and dozed on. "Look around if you feel like it, but don't wander too far." Colfax whispered, knowing Sawyer should be able to hear at this distance.

Sawyer listened to what was going on outside the bag as Colfax walked through the halls, wincing slightly at the human’s cold response to what sounded like younger students. He certainly didn’t miss being on the receiving end of Colfax’s curt mannerisms like that, yikes. After that, however, he didn’t hear anybody else and took that as a good sign. It would appear that Colfax was right, there was hardly anybody in the building. Eventually the bag was set down somewhere, and as he stood up he could hear Colfax’s whisper come from somewhere close. He was probably on a table then, he thought, and his assumptions were confirmed as he climbed up the rope and stuck his head out of the bag, taking a look around. Nobody was in the room save for an older human a couple of tables away, and he seemed to have fallen asleep amongst his work. Safe enough.

Climbing out and on top of the bag, Sawyer grabbed the rope he had just used and swung it over the outside of the container, testing its give a bit before sliding down it and onto the tabletop. The lab table was definitely Colfax’s- just like at home everything was meticulously organized and labeled, though there were signs of frequent late nights in the small coffee stains and the mass of scribbled notes covering just about every available scrap of paper. Colfax himself was rummaging through the drawers beneath, and Sawyer could feel the movements through his feet as he walked across the desk. There were a couple of anatomically correct animal skeleton models on the desk, which Sawyer was looking at with interest until something shiny caught his eye. 

Walking over he saw it was a series of metal balls hung to be pendulums- he’d seen a picture of this kind of thing in one of Colfax’s physics textbooks, if you dropped one of the balls into the others the furthest one would be pushed out, and so on and so forth for quite a long time. Excited to try it, Sawyer took one of the balls at the end and pulled it up and back, pacing backwards until he was holding it level with his head. He was about to start it when motion out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and looking over he saw another student walking into the lab. Dropping the ball in surprise he dashed behind a nearby stack of library books, the clack from the pendulum (unfortunately louder than he had expected) only giving him a boost as he skittered for cover. Heart pounding, Sawyer glanced back at the computer bag, which was damnably far away and in complete view of whoever had just walked in. Shrinking back against the books Sawyer glanced around, looking for better cover, trying to see where the new human was, and eventually looking to see what Colfax was going to do.

Colfax heard the loud clack of the metal ball before he could react to the sound of the door opening. He stood up from where he crouched to look over at the room's new occupant. True to form, he only spared Sawyer one swift glance, just to make sure the viri was hidden at the moment. The new arrival was Felicia, an ambitious woman who had been vying for a spot on Colfax's research project for at least a year. So far nobody had impressed him enough, and she was no different. Even so, when her perpetually wide eyes caught sight of Colfax, she came over to stand near the table opposite him. She didn't appear to have noticed anything out of order, and Colfax suddenly felt very lucky that he had left the books where he had. Nothing else would have hidden Sawyer enough.

"Good morning, Colfax," she said, trying to sound friendly. She actually had to tilt her head up somewhat to look at his face, and she didn't seem fazed at all by his lack of interest. "Are you going to work on that thesis? I have some notes that might be really helpful-"

"No," he cut her off briskly. He set some of the things he'd found on top of the table, near the books. "I'm just here to get some supplies for an experiment." Everything in his body language told her to leave him alone (which was his usual attitude when dealing with other people), but she lingered, trying to think of something else to say. With a roll of his eyes, Colfax grabbed his bag and tipped it over, dragging it over to the supplies he'd gathered. It stopped just so that Sawyer could walk right in without being seen from Felicia's angle, and Colfax began to shove his supplies into the bag nonchalantly. He made sure to leave room on one side for the viri to settle down. His discretion was rewarded when, giving up for the moment, Felicia wandered away to her own lab table.

Sawyer all but held his breath as the other human piped up, much too close to them for comfort. The voice was female and attempting to be friendly, but Colfax was being his usual anti-social self (and for once Sawyer was glad for it). Then the computer bag was shifted over towards him, and though Colfax didn’t spare a glance Sawyer knew exactly what was meant for him to do. Double-checking briefly that the new human wouldn’t be able to see him from her vantage point, he practically scrambled over to the safety of the bag. Snatching up his rope, which miraculously had pooled near the edge of the bag, not under it, and whose fishhook was still holding, he ducked into the shadows and narrowed space. On the other side Colfax was shoving the supplies he had collected inside, which was making Sawyer’s movement a bit harder but otherwise wasn’t a problem at the moment. He’d see how troublesome the medical tools would be once the bag was upright and moving. 

That moment came a bit sooner than Sawyer was expecting, and he automatically gripped the rope in his hands as the bag was turned upright, leaving him hanging about an inch off the floor. Dropping down, he began to make his way back to his corner, only to trip over a roll of bandages and fall flat on his face as Colfax picked the computer bag up off the table and started walking again. Somewhat grudgingly (and deciding that standing up was probably out of the question) he resorted to crawling back to his more stable position, kicking supplies out of his way when necessary. Breathing heavier now, and heart still thumping from yet another close encounter with a human, he nearly collapsed into his seat. “I really need to stop getting myself into these kinds of situations,” he muttered irritably, settling himself in even while knowing that in a few minutes Colfax would be in his car again and he’d want to get right back out.

Felicia waited at her lab table until Colfax was out the door. Then, she looked thoughtfully over at his impeccably organized workstation. The pendulums still clacked away, a constant motion that had almost distracted her earlier. But she knew what she'd seen. Other signs confirmed it: a string hanging by a hook from Colfax's bag and the way he moved the bag to pack up. It happened to be in the right position for a hidden  _ something _ to crawl in without Felicia seeing. It might have been a good strategy on someone who didn't know exactly what to look for like she did. Felicia smiled to herself to know that Colfax knew about the viri, too.

She hummed to herself as she set about her own work. She had been trying to get close to Colfax for some time so that he could help her. With his credibility and ridiculous cleverness backing their work, they could easily prove the existence of the viri to the world. And now, she thought with glee, she wouldn't have to convince the guy, because he already knew. So he wouldn't call her crazy! Now all she needed to do was convince him that she could help in his research, thanks to the tiny book she'd discovered. Nobody would call her crazy for believing them if someone like Colfax confirmed them.

* * * * *

Colfax moved with greater care than he'd done before. He wished he'd had time to organize his bag better. He was willing to bet that the clutter was unsafe for Sawyer. But he resisted the urge to look into the bag until they were safely in the car. He reached in to move some tools into more steady positions before checking Sawyer's condition. "Sorry," he muttered, and though he was usually emotionless, he meant it. "I didn't expect her to be here today." At least Felicia was an airhead, so it was unlikely that she had noticed.

Inside the bag Sawyer was debating whether or not it was worth climbing back out when Colfax opened the top, reaching in to move things around and apologize. “S’all right,” Sawyer said with a bit of a sigh. He remained seated; after all, if he stood it would make no difference in how they conducted the conversation. “Stuff happens, and we made it work just fine.” He decided to not bother climbing back up to the top of the bag for the car ride- they were just going back to Charlie’s, after all, and then he’d have to climb back down anyways. A few more minutes sitting down wouldn’t kill him. Looking up at Colfax he asked, “Did you at least get all the stuff you needed to make a cast-whatever for Charlie?” That at least would mean their trip hadn’t been in vain. Judging by the amount of things currently in the bag with him, however, he thought he could probably guess the answer.

Colfax nodded once. "I did. I got enough that he should be able to walk short distances if he has some help." And if he was even willing to let Colfax put the cast on him. The human was quite ready for the possibility that Charlie would reject the procedure. After all, Colfax's bedside manner was absolutely terrible when it came to instilling trust in his patients. He reached into the bag to adjust a few more things before he was satisfied. "At least we found out that the bag provides you with decent cover." For that, Colfax was very glad. Felicia may not be the cleverest person out there, but she definitely would have made things very bad if Sawyer hadn't had a place to hide. He settled the bag more securely in the passenger seat, and began the drive back to Adrian's place.

“Some help” probably meant Sawyer, of course, but the viri didn’t mind. He wanted to be there to help Charlie, and if he could aid him in walking that would be nothing short of miraculous in his opinion. At the second statement Sawyer all but scoffed. “Yeah, at least there’s that.” Finding out was a situation a bit to close for comfort, but somehow everything had ended up okay. That was something he was by no means going to mention to Charlie when they got back, he’d get smacked again if his friend found out. The car started and Sawyer leaned back against the edge of the bag, taking a deep breath and composing himself. Needless to say he was looking forward to puttering around Charlie’s for a few days and taking a break from the ridiculous, crazy series of events that his life had recently become.

Colfax fell into silent thought as he drove. Though he clearly wasn't admitting it, that had been a closer call than he'd expected. He thought he had controlled the most dangerous variables in that situation, but he had unmistakably misjudged his fellow grad student. Not that he had many opportunities to find out what his peers did between semesters, but he had expected them all to be on vacation or with family or  _ something _ . He sighed; he didn't plan to tell Adrian about the ordeal, but he wondered if his friend would figure it out anyway. He resolved not to bring it up unless he absolutely needed to. Luckily, Colfax had enough of a reputation that sometimes he could say nothing when asked a direct question and Adrian would just assume everything was fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A trip to the lab, which unsurprisingly ends in trouble! A new character for you all to ponder as well. :D By the end of all this Sawyer and Colfax are going to be hiding more secrets from Charlie and Adrian than viri are hiding from humans.


	24. Chapter 24

When they arrived at the apartment Charlie was still sitting in his usual spot up on the dresser, though he had been rather surrounded by models of Adrian’s. He had to admit, they were impressive- all manner of shapes, sizes, and designs, all put together with meticulous care. They were very sturdy as far as he could tell, and though the scaling was always slightly off of viri size he and Sawyer could certainly make it work. “Obviously the ones with stairs are out of the question, at least for me,” the viri was saying to Adrian, looking around at their possibilities. “Though this one especially I-” He stopped abruptly at the sound of the front door opening, looking up at Adrian to see whether it was Colfax and Sawyer or somebody more troublesome.

Adrian was leaning in slightly to look at the model that Charlie indicated when he heard the door. He raised his eyebrows and turned to go to the hallway, but heard Colfax announce himself. "It's just me," he said in his steady voice as he approached. Adrian relaxed his shoulders and glanced back to Charlie with a faint smile. When the other human entered the room, Adrian's eyes immediately went to his shoulder, expecting to see Sawyer perched there. Then, his gaze went to Colfax's computer bag, which he was already lifting off of his shoulder slowly and holding up to the edge of the dresser.

"Decided against the raised collar, huh?" Adrian teased, earning a faint eye roll. Then, jokes aside, Adrian looked at the top of the container and waited for Sawyer to emerge. "I hope you were careful."

“Yeah, thought it was a bit too high up for my tastes,” Sawyer joked, climbing out onto the dresser with his pack on his back. He took the fishhook out of the fabric and grinned at Charlie, who had leaned forward to watch him. His friend was looking at him somewhat suspiciously, knowing that an aversion to heights was definitely not the reason he would change things up. “Don’t worry, we were careful,” Sawyer added.  _ You know, for the most part. _ He said this mostly to Charlie, who sighed and sat back. Charlie let the issue go, luckily for them, deciding that he would probably rather not know. He was right in that aspect. Scooping up his rope and hook Sawyer walked over to where his friend was sitting, setting his stuff down next to him. Looking around at the models Sawyer whistled in appreciation. “Shoot, Adrian, these things look sweet!” he exclaimed, walking over to the closest one and ducking his head in through the front door.

“They’re very impressive, aren’t they?” Charlie agreed, brightening at the change in conversation. “You’ll have to help me pick one out, tell me what they’re like inside. Of course I can’t really walk up any stairs, so only the first floor matters… unless you want the upstairs portion of one or something.” Even as he spoke Sawyer was poking around inside of the one he had looked into, ducking slightly as the ceiling was just a bit too low for him. It would be fine for Charlie, though, and he wasn’t about to be picky. The models were astoundingly well built, sturdy enough that Sawyer didn’t think he could bust down a wall if he tried. Though it was built plainly, really with only walls and open door frames inside, Sawyer knew they could make it work wonderfully. After all, if there was one thing a viri was good at it was taking an empty space and making it into something more than livable.

Adrian had never really expected to see someone actually walk around in his models, so he had to turn his head and watch through the windows. His eyes were bright with fascination; indeed, watching Sawyer navigate the tiny rooms inside did give him some insight about the designs. He would have to set up his drafting table soon; even now he felt new ideas forming in his head. But he stood up straight to address Colfax, who had just set his bag on the floor. He heard a faint clatter as something inside toppled over. "So what else do you have in there?"

The taller human straightened up, and his gaze did linger for a second or two on the occupied house model on the dresser. "We decided to make a brief visit to my lab-"

"You went to the college?" Adrian cut in, raising his eyebrows. He wasn't too taken aback, as clearly things went fine. But it had been an extraordinary risk; how had Colfax managed to make himself gamble like that?

"-to get some supplies." Colfax finished his sentence, acting as if the interruption hadn't happened. He glanced at Charlie. "If Charlie decides he would like a cast, I will need these things. There was almost nobody there anyway."

At Adrian’s exclamation Sawyer stepped back out of the house, looking up at the exchange between the two humans even as he took a seat beside Charlie and his backpack. Luckily Colfax pushed straight through to the reason they were there, and not what might have happened along the way. “You went to a university?” Charlie asked Sawyer quietly, his usual tone of worry somewhat overridden by curiosity. “What was it like?” He was also musing over Colfax’s statement that getting a cast would be his decision… he was fairly certain that he wanted one, but he still wasn’t entirely sure what all it entailed. Some thought would have to be given to that.

Sawyer shrugged at the question, looking over at Charlie with a faint smile. “It was big, very empty today though. And I didn’t get to see much, I was in Colfax’s bag most of the time.” Technically true; the more interesting parts of his visit he left out, not wanting to worry Charlie. He added, “Colfax did get a lot of supplies for you though, if you want a cast-thingamajig.” He looked at his friend appraisingly, then down to where the popsicle-stick splint was still holding. “It might be better than that thing, Colfax even said you could probably walk on it with some help.” Charlie couldn’t help but smile, not just at Sawyer’s care but at the way his friend seemed to mention Colfax every sentence. It would seem that despite a rocky start, Sawyer had taken quite a liking to “his human”.

Adrian heard Charlie's question and smiled faintly. Of course, a university would be fascinating to Charlie. Remembering the viri's bookish tendencies, Adrian wondered how Charlie would react if he visited the library there. Perhaps that was a visit they'd have to make at least once before this was all over. Then, he zeroed in on Sawyer's words. It sure sounded like Colfax had somehow gotten himself another friend. It was very lucky that Sawyer seemed so relaxed most of the time. That more than anything seemed like the most effective way to keep Charlie from worrying too much. "Casts are pretty helpful," he added some encouraging words of his own. "Even if something jolts you, your leg would be safe from breaking again. But I warn you- I had a cast once and if you even think about it itching, it's like it never stops." He couldn't contain his smile at his last joking words.

"I wouldn't let that deter you," Colfax added. He had been peering at one of Adrian's models with interest, but now he stood up straighter. Colfax was socially dense, but he was well aware that he and Charlie had definitely had a rough meeting. He still struggled with the idea of getting permission to go ahead and do the most medically prudent thing. But, for better or worse, he was willing to wait for the decision to be made instead of making it himself. "There is no rush, either; a cast can be put on anytime in the course of the injury." That, too, was hard for Colfax to admit, even though it was true. But it gave the viri time to settle into whatever model house they picked out if needed.

Itching? Oh great. Charlie knew that Adrian was joking, but he also couldn’t help but reach down and itch his knee even at the thought. Still, it sounded like a good thing- given the course his life had been running lately, more protection from jolts and pressure couldn’t possibly be unhelpful. He could also tell that, while Colfax was trying to be patient (exceptionally well, Charlie thought) the human really wanted the cast to go on sooner rather than later.

At least he was waiting for Charlie’s permission this time, a fact that did not escape the viri’s notice. Maybe Colfax wasn’t that bad after all… obviously Sawyer had taken a liking to him, so perhaps he just took a bit of getting used to. Regardless, Charlie figured he’d made his decision on the cast. “If,” he started, still a bit unused to speaking up, “if the cast is really that helpful, then I think we should put it on soon.” He looked around at all of them, eventually ending with rather nervous eye contact with Colfax. “Whenever you think, Colfax.”

Sawyer looked over at his friend with thinly veiled surprise; the last thing he had expected was for Charlie to defer to Colfax, of all people. He couldn’t help but smile, pleased that Charlie was finally getting over some of his deeply ingrained fear of the human. “It’ll be good,” he whispered to his friend, slapping him on the shoulder in a show of comradery. Charlie rubbed his shoulder but gave his friend a grateful smile regardless. Sawyer grinned and added, a bit louder this time, “Besides, after you get a cast I can decorate it all pretty.” At that Charlie laughed, mostly at the thought of Sawyer trying to do “pretty decorations”, but Sawyer looked up at the two humans expectantly. “That is what humans do when they have casts, right? Have their friends decorate them?”

Adrian continued to offer Charlie an encouraging smile as he thought about it; though he knew for sure that if he were in the viri's shoes, he'd definitely be wary of Colfax, too. He was glad for the effort that Colfax was making, as well. It was probably an unprecedented challenge for him, trying to juggle his professionalism and social courtesy. Indeed, when Charlie finally made eye contact with Colfax, Adrian had to resist watching his friend with interest. But he knew that it had probably surprised him. Then Sawyer's jovial words made him laugh. "Yes, that happens a lot. People either try to get as many signatures as they can, or they go nuts drawing pictures all over them."

Colfax didn't break eye contact as soon as Charlie made it, like he might have normally done. There it was, the trust he'd secretly been hoping to earn. He hoped he wouldn't screw that up, if only so he could avoid Adrian getting ticked off at him. But Sawyer's declaration and the sudden laughter from the others in the room jolted him from his thoughts. The corners of his mouth twitched, but he stopped himself from grinning; he did still have an image to put up, and Colfax simply didn't grin. He knelt to rummage in his bag and retrieve some of the things he would need for Charlie's procedure and to let the humor wear off. With his back turned he was unaware of Adrian's bemused look.

“There, you see?” Sawyer said, still excited by the idea of drawing on Charlie’s cast. It sounded like so much fun. Besides, the more enthusiastic he was about it, the better Charlie felt about going through with it. “We’ll make it the best-drawn cast ever.”

This made Charlie laugh. “With what?” he asked, still giggling. After a couple of days of stress and serious talking, the sudden humor was making him a bit slap-happy. “We don’t have anything to draw  _ with _ .” The sudden idea of Sawyer trying to manage a whole marker on his own just to sign Charlie’s leg made him laugh even harder, his whole body shaking as he tried to contain his mirth.

Sawyer waved that away nonchalantly. “Ah, we’ll figure out something. Adrian’ll hook us up with something, right?” He looked up at the human expectantly and so did Charlie, who was still trying to stop laughing and only succeeded in getting hiccups.

The laughter was infectious, and Adrian found himself joining the viri in their mirth. He could hardly remember the last time he'd laughed as much. Since he'd devoted his last year to studying so much so he could graduate on time, it felt really good to smile so much. Even then he was mindful of the volume of his laughter so he wouldn't deafen his small friends. "Of course," he replied. "I wouldn't let your inner artist be stifled over something like a lack of supplies." At the very least, a broken off colored pencil would be doable. Adrian thought that he could do even more, though, considering the wide array of supplies he had leftover from school projects.

Colfax stood up again, and Adrian looked to him to see that he held several supplies of his own. There was some amusement lingering in the otherwise stoic face, which Adrian was proud to see. It seemed that Colfax had come around quite admirably despite his first impression. Hopefully he'd be able to keep it up. "Here, let me make some room," Adrian said, taking the model house off the dresser and setting it on the mattress of the bed. Colfax gratefully set his precariously balanced supplies on the freed surface space, arranging them carefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a silly little chapter. :3 Next, Charlie gets a cast put on!


	25. Chapter 25

Colfax was almost nervous.  _ Almost. _ This was a procedure he knew how to do quite well, if not at this scale. No, the nerves came from the fact that a person, not an animal, depended on his success. But, as a professional, he could quell any misgivings he had. After all, he'd gained enough trust from Charlie to be allowed to do this; surely the viri wouldn't mind if he didn't have a stellar bedside manner. He turned his gaze to the two of them where they sat. "Sawyer can be my assistant if I need help with the more meticulous portions of the procedure." He glanced at Adrian, who stood by paying rapt attention. "If Charlie needs anything- water, a cushion to prop his head on, Adrian will get it." At that, the pale-eyed human gave a thumbs up and a nod, smiling at Charlie.

Charlie’s humor died down as Colfax started preparing, though the occasional hiccup still popped out once in a while. He watched the supplies being arranged warily, only really looking away to nervously return Adrian’s smile. Everybody else seemed relaxed, even bordering on enthusiastic, but he couldn’t help but feel anxious about it. Despite the concept being explained to him multiple times, he still wasn’t necessarily confident in what they would actually be  _ doing _ . Noticing his nerves, Sawyer patted him on the back, a grin on his own face. “Aw, don’t worry Charlie!” he said, “Colfax made me assistant, so it’s bound to go great.”

At that Charlie scoffed. “Oh yes, because I have such confidence in you messing around with my broken leg.” This succeeded in drawing an indignant noise from Sawyer, though they were both in jest. It also put a smile on Charlie’s face though, a genuine one this time, and despite it all relieved some of his anxiety. With a small sigh and a deep breath Charlie looked up at Colfax. “Let… let me know if I can help at all too,” he said, somewhat hesitantly. Smiling a bit he added, “I mean, it’s not like I can’t reach my own leg.”

Colfax was already unraveling a length of soft bandages when he heard Charlie speak to him again. He looked down and saw that the viri was even offering him a faint smile.  _ Wow. _ The thought flickered through his mind. He'd actually managed to get a smile after his attitude the day before. It was surprising, but not enough to disarm him. He answered slowly, carefully choosing his words. "The procedure will cause some pain," he began, hoping that wasn't enough to call off the whole thing. "A constant ache will be normal, because I can't give you anesthetic- pain numbing drugs. So you will need to keep me informed of your level of pain, because if it increases we can stop immediately and assess what happened." He paused, unsure of whether he'd said enough or too much. He glanced to Adrian, who had the good grace to add his encouraging demeanor to the mix.

"With the splint already in place, you should be good to go." He was proud of Colfax for taking the time to explain himself before going ahead and starting to mess with Charlie's broken limb. It was obvious that he wasn't used to it. "Actually, Charlie, you'll probably have to be in charge of wrapping the soft bandages. They're supposed to be comfortable, after all." Adrian glanced at Colfax, who nodded that he was correct. Adrian smiled. "And once it's all in place, it'll be so snug that you'll hardly feel the pain anymore. I can say that from experience at least." It would also be incredibly helpful, he imagined, to have Sawyer there to help. He'd be able to watch out for things that the humans simply couldn't see.

Charlie nodded quietly and said, “Okay, I  _ think _ I can remember all of that…” Naturally he wasn’t fond of the idea of more pain, but he understood that in the long-term it would make things much better. After making it through the excruciating pain of the first break, he was sure he could withstand a bit more. Looking over at Sawyer, who seemed to have paid attention to the instructions as well, he laughed nervously. “You’ll help with everything too, right?” He might have joked with Sawyer earlier, but in truth there was nobody he would trust more. Sawyer could be a bit too gung-ho and adventurous sometimes but Charlie would still trust him with his life.

“Of course I will,” Sawyer replied, smiling but sounding serious for once. “It’ll go just fine, Charlie.” He had listened carefully to what Colfax and Adrian had said, and he knew that he was going to have to help a lot as well. After all, Colfax may be the medical expert here, but his fingers were simply too big for most of the tasks they had ahead of them; and though Charlie had a point about being able to reach his own leg, Sawyer knew that he would still have to help him with most of the process. It made him a bit nervous, but he pushed the feeling back down. He needed to be confident for Charlie’s sake.

Colfax was dealing with some nerves of his own. He'd never done this on a patient that would be aware of every second of it. But, of course, there was no way to give Charlie even a local anesthetic without overdose risks. Adrian had been right, however, the splint already being there would definitely help them avoid causing too much pain. Colfax measured out a decent length of the softer bandages meant to cushion the limb from the hard cast. Glancing at Charlie's leg to make sure it was situated at a good angle, he set the bandage next to the viri. "Wrap that securely around the break, and include the knee and foot," he told them. This they could do without any help from him at all, he knew, though even as he moved to prepare the materials for the hard bandage Colfax paid some attention to their work.

The two viri set to work wrapping up Charlie’s leg in the soft bandages, and though his leg wasn’t really hurting while they went about it, Charlie’s hands were still shaking from nerves. There was certainly more than one time he had to sit back and let Sawyer do the wrapping, lest he make it too loose or bump into his injury too much. He focused on taking deep breaths, and reminding himself that everything was okay. Colfax knew what he was doing, and Sawyer was there to help. His gratitude for the fact that human fingers didn’t have to be involved for the entire process was overwhelming, though he knew for the later portion he was going to have to be brave and let Colfax work on his leg. “You’re doing great, Charlie,” Sawyer whispered to him as he pulled more of the bandage under his knee, and Charlie smiled appreciatively, if still nervously, at him.

Adrian watched closely, ready to run for water or at least an aspirin if Charlie needed some help with the pain. He was glad now more than ever that Colfax had found Sawyer. Sawyer was being very gentle and careful as he helped Charlie wrap up his leg, and Adrian knew that no human could manage such care. Colfax may have come close, but his large hands could only achieve so much. "This will probably be the klunkiest boot you've ever seen, Charlie. Are you holding up okay?" Adrian knew that, in that situation, he'd probably be more than a little nervous even with all the precautions in place. He wanted to help in any way that he could despite his lack of medical expertise.

At Adrian’s words Charlie looked up at him, still smiling slightly and feeling glad that Adrian was caring about him as well. “Yes, I suppose it will be,” he said, his voice quiet but not so much that Adrian couldn’t hear him. His voice wasn’t entirely devoid of humor at the statement, though it was clear he was still anxious. “I’m holding up fine,” he added. He meant it too, surprisingly- the process so far wasn’t nearly as painful or terrible as he had expected it to be. Sawyer finished up the wrap, tucking the end of it into the uppermost edge, and sat up with a sigh. After looking over it one more time together Charlie glanced up at Colfax. “I- I think we’re done now.”

Colfax had finished preparing what he needed. A roll of what looked like more bandages sat in a shallow container of water, and some small instruments for actually maneuvering the material lay nearby. He was just pulling on some gloves so that the fiberglass bandaging wouldn't stick to his skin when he heard Charlie speak to him. He leaned over slightly to look over the viri’s work. They had actually done quite an impressive job securing the bandages in the right proportions up and down Charlie's leg. It certainly would make things easier. He started to reach for the roll of special bandaging before glancing back and saying, "Good work." He didn't see it, but behind him Adrian threw them a thumbs up and a nod, indicating that even getting that much of a compliment was an excellent sign. "I'm going to start now. I'll still need you to tell me if it feels like something is going wrong. This stuff will dry in approximately 15 minutes, so it's important that I place it in the correct shape without shifting the injury."

Adrian sighed faintly, knowing it was probably too much to ask Colfax to say things more gently. His clipped, clinical manner would just have to do. Adrian stepped closer to watch him begin his work, though. Colfax laid one gloved hand flat next to Charlie's leg and, moving with a gentleness and care that was almost unreal, propped Charlie's ankle up on his fingertip. Then, using the same level of care, he began to unroll the damp cast bandage around the injury. If it seemed like he risked bumping Charlie's leg with his hand, Colfax would switch to one of his tools to grip the material.

As Colfax spoke Charlie nodded to show that he understood, and Sawyer stepped back so that the human would have room to work. Charlie couldn’t help but tense as Colfax’s hand rested nearby, but the gentleness with which he propped up his leg helped him relax a bit. It amazed him, actually, how delicate Colfax was being. He never thought human fingers could be capable of such a thing. Both viri watched curiously as the damp bandages were applied, the strange shine of the cast somewhat entrancing to them. It was certainly very different from anything they had known as far as viri medical practices went. Once it was done Colfax leaned back, though his hand remained, and Charlie breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

Adrian realized as Colfax neared the end of his work that the tall human was holding his breath, not even letting that disturb the delicate work in front of him. When Colfax was done, he stood up straight but kept his hand where it was propping up Charlie's leg so that the gleaming white fiberglass could dry in the correct shape. As Colfax took a breath, Adrian smiled and took in a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding as well. "So it worked?" Adrian looked at Charlie. "How do you feel?"

Charlie looked up and cracked a nervous smile. “I think it worked,” he said, glancing over at Colfax to be sure. “I feel fine.” He did, too- the cast compressed his leg, enough to reduce the pain but not so tightly that he couldn’t feel anything anymore. It felt strange, this feeling up and down practically his entire leg, but he assumed this was how it was supposed to feel. The cast, hardening even as he thought, was certainly giving him a lot more support. Definitely useful, this thing; he was going to have to ask Adrian exactly how it worked later, so that he could write it down in his accounts. Other viri could benefit from knowledge of such a procedure. Sawyer nudged him and he reemerged from his thoughts, looking over at his friend with a questioning glance. Sawyer nodded up at Colfax meaningfully, and Charlie’s eyes widened in understanding. “Um, thank you Colfax,” Charlie said meekly, looking up at the human as he spoke. Sawyer smiled proudly, pleased that Charlie was steadily getting over his general fear.

Adrian was beyond relieved to know that it had gone without a hitch. Now, it seemed, Charlie was safe from the danger of accidentally unsetting his broken bone. And, once the cast was dry, he'd even be able to hobble around a little, so he wouldn't have to feel so stuck. Adrian knew that had to make a big difference. He looked at Colfax to see that his friend was staring off into space, clearly deep in thought about what had just transpired. Was he making note of it in some scientific corner of his brain? Definitely. But, Adrian also thought he saw signs of plain relief hidden in Colfax's features. He didn't ask for confirmation, though, knowing that the guy wasn't really one for sharing his emotions. Both humans were pulled from their thoughts and looked down when Charlie spoke up again.

Colfax blinked, almost unsure if he'd heard correctly or imagined it. After all, he'd never been thanked by his patients before and wasn't expecting it. And the fact that Charlie had said it... well, perhaps the little guy was becoming less skittish. Colfax found himself feeling very grateful for the intelligence of the viri; he may never have completed this procedure if Charlie had struggled and squirmed away from him. He offered a faint smirk and a nod in reply. "Anytime," he said softly. Then, he looked at Sawyer. "There's your canvas. Though I'd recommend you give it at least several hours before adding your 'pretty decorations'." He smirked after he spoke, but his deadpan delivery of the words did earn a few snickers from Adrian.

Sawyer laughed outright at that, and even Charlie couldn’t help but smile. “Don’t worry, I ain’t about to mess up all our hard work in the name of art,” he said with a chuckle. Looking over at Charlie he smiled and said, “Congrats, bud! You made it through. Just have to think about healin’ now.” Even the thought of that made Charlie visibly relax, and he smiled gratefully at Sawyer. Sawyer was glad for it, too- now that things had settled a bit, their lives wouldn’t be nearly as topsy-turvy anymore. They could stay at Adrian’s together, in one of the models, and Charlie would even be able to walk around a bit with help. It would be nice to be able to take it easy for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Charlie gets a cast, which helps everybody feel a bit better. ^^ Compared to Sawyer Charlie may seem rather sedentary, but he really isn't. Being able to walk will help his mood a great deal.


	26. Chapter 26

A thought struck Charlie and he looked up at Colfax with a hopeful expression. “Now that I have the cast on will my leg heal faster?” He desperately wanted to think so, though he wouldn’t be surprised either if the estimate remained around the three-week span he was originally told. After all, it was a pretty serious injury, and a strange, hard bandage on his leg might not be enough to make a difference in how  _ quickly _ he got better. Viri tended to be good at healing in comparison to other creatures, but the common thought was that they were similar in this aspect to humans, so most likely whatever timeline Colfax and Adrian thought appropriate was going to be fairly on track.

Colfax paused as he thought about it. He had no precedent to work with for that. In theory, having a cast would quicken the healing process for such a small mammal just by keeping them from breaking it again. But he'd never had the opportunity to place such a small cast (and he had done a fine job, if he were to critique himself). Finally, he tilted his head and replied. "It is possible. I would say this should take at least a day or two off your time." And Colfax would most definitely be keeping an eye on the whole process. It did, after all, have a direct impact on his field of study, even if he'd have to lie about the species of his subject if he ever wrote about it.

Adrian shook his head with a smile, recognizing the scientific contentment in Colfax's eyes. It seemed like he'd found a way to keep his academic side busy even though he couldn't study the viri like he'd originally wanted. "Well, once that cast is dry, is anyone hungry? It's getting close to noon." After such an intense operation, he couldn't imagine Charlie or Colfax not being hungry, lunchtime or not.

“Now  _ that’s _ an idea,” Sawyer said enthusiastically. “I’m starved.” Charlie nodded as well, though he wasn’t nearly as excited by the prospect of food as Sawyer seemed to be. After all, though the morning hadn’t exactly been a walk in the park for Charlie in any sense, Sawyer had been quite a bit more active than his friend. Turns out having near misses with humans all day was like to make a person hungry. Not that he was going to say that to Charlie; his extra… adventures were still something he’d rather not get reprimanded for.

Charlie was about to say something to Adrian when he was distracted by Sawyer rummaging about beside him. “What are you doing?” he asked, giving his friend a quizzical glance. Sawyer looked up from where he had been moving around, his climbing gear in one hand. 

“I’m going with Adrian to get food,” he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Charlie gaped at him. “Ain’t seen the kitchen yet. ‘Sides, unlike you I can’t sit still for this long.” It looked like Charlie wanted to protest, or at least propone how completely out of the norm that idea was, but he couldn’t find the words. Taking advantage of his friend’s momentary bewilderment Sawyer gave him a grin and dug his hook into the edge of the dresser. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon,” he said casually, before all but launching himself over the edge. Charlie just shook his head slightly and shut his mouth into a thin, worried line. He knew Sawyer was crazy, but recent events seemed to have pushed his impulsive behavior out of the range of common sense.

Adrian had to smile at Sawyer's enthusiasm. He had been hanging out with Charlie all morning, so the contrast between their personalities really stood out. Even so, it seemed like they had been friends for a long time, and Adrian found himself wondering how they'd met. Considering the relative distance, it was quite something that they were still such close friends. He almost asked Colfax what he would like, when he heard his name mentioned on top of the dresser. Both humans watched with some curiosity as Sawyer set up his climbing gear. Adrian was actually startled a little by the viri's jump over the side, and he flinched back in surprise. His hands twitched, wanting to catch the falling being, but clearly Sawyer knew what he was doing. "W-wow," he said, his voice still wavering from the surprise. "That's pretty amazing. Well, the kitchen is this way." He chuckled a bit as he led the way towards the door, glancing down a lot to make sure Sawyer wasn't underfoot. "We'll be back in a minute." 

Colfax came out of his thoughts when he realized the others had gone. He remained where he was, of course, as the cast still needed some time. But he was now alone with someone he had no idea how to talk to. Usually in that situation, Colfax would resort to sarcasm or something. But Charlie wasn't exactly a stranger, he reminded himself. He would have thought that he could strike up a conversation with someone after fixing their broken leg, but he was proving himself wrong. He sighed faintly, and then noticed Sawyer's hook still hanging from the dresser. "Do you... do you zip around like Sawyer does when you're able?" he asked quietly, his gaze finally going to his small patient.

At the question Charlie looked up from where he had been watching the other two leave, relieved to see that Sawyer was still sane enough to walk at least a fair distance away from Adrian. Though a bit surprised that Colfax had begun a conversation, Charlie was glad for something to break the sudden silence. The human was speaking quietly as well, and making an effort to have a normal discourse, which Charlie found he greatly appreciated. “Yes, I do,” he replied, “Though not usually with such… flair.” Of course he could climb just as well as Sawyer when his leg was fine, and he did- you couldn’t live like a viri without being able to get around like that. Normally, though, it didn’t involve nearly as much risk taking. Placing his hands behind him Charlie leaned back slightly, noticing as he did so that the wet bandages were quickly hardening into something akin to concrete. “Sawyer’s a bit… daring,” he eventually added, “though you’ve probably already noticed that. I wouldn’t attempt half the things he does for fun. Honestly I’m surprised he wasn’t seen by a human before this.”

Colfax listened attentively as Charlie spoke, smirking faintly when the word “flair” came up.  _ Daring is right, _ he thought. He wondered how Charlie would react if he wasn't encumbered by the cast and they told him the details of Sawyer's recent adventures. He guessed that Sawyer was just as afraid to tell him as he was afraid to tell Adrian. He was interested in the thought of Sawyer's ability to stay hidden despite his brave nature. "That is remarkable," he noted. "It speaks volumes about the versatility of your species." He realized after a few seconds that he may have sounded off-puttingly scientific and tried to find a way to wrap up his thoughts without seeming insensitive. "Aside from the obvious, I see fewer and fewer differences between viri and human." Of course, that just meant that Colfax would have a difficult time relating to them on a friendly level, but at least he was trying.

Charlie barely refrained from rolling his eyes. Yes, of course there were few differences between viri and humans; save, of course, the size. That in itself was a rather, er,  _ big _ distinction. Still, he didn’t think Colfax meant the comments in a bad way, and he didn’t take them as such. Despite his first reservations, Colfax had proven that he was harmless; or, as much as that term could be applied to any human. The nearly dry cast on Charlie’s leg was a testament to his good intentions, and Charlie was gradually beginning to trust him. Sawyer already did, obviously, and honestly that meant a lot to Charlie. It also meant that both the humans they had met were trustworthy, and helpful rather than harmful. That fact alone was mind-boggling to Charlie, who quickly turned his mind on other things before going down the now-familiar spiral of life altering considerations.

“How do you know how to do all of this?” he asked Colfax, motioning to his cast as clarification. From what he’d gathered the human attended some sort of university, but even the idea of that was somewhat unclear to a viri who had never learned anything from a structured organization.

Colfax raised his eyebrows at the question. He didn't talk to many people, so nobody asked him. Thus, he didn't have an answer ready immediately. He looked at the cast he'd put together as he thought about a good answer (a question like that deserved a well-thought answer, he reasoned). 

"I've been studying this for seven years," he finally said, thinking about the several years further he'd have to pursue his education. "This time next year I will be publishing a very long paper and starting at a school to specialize in medicine for non-human mammals." Colfax spoke the words with the confidence of someone who had prepared for his chosen future for years. In truth, he'd started his college career with the ambition of becoming a doctor. But, enough of his professors had warned him about his weak social skills that Colfax had changed his track somewhat. "I admit," he added with a faint smirk, "I've never thought that the fields of animal and human medicine were that different. The only difference is the patients." One he could talk to without problems, and the other baffled him to no end when it came to conversation. Even now, he felt strange, and a very small part of him was absolutely terrified that he'd say something foolish out loud.

Charlie listened carefully and with great curiosity as Colfax talked about his education. Seven years of studying, and more to come; that was quite a lot. It had always intrigued Charlie, how humans were constantly in pursuit of “being” something- a doctor like Colfax, an architect like Adrian. They studied for years about one thing, just so they could be the person who knew that thing for the rest of their lives. Viri never wanted to be anything; viri just were. You knew what you knew, and you did what you could and that was that. Usually all on your own, too.

That was the real difference, Charlie thought- humans lived with so many other humans, that they could survive only knowing their one thing. When you lived isolated, like viri, you had to know a little bit of everything. Besides, if you were a viri doctor, who could you help? How could you get to them? It just wasn’t feasible with their traditional lifestyle, so spread out from one another. After thinking through all this Charlie realized he had been spacing out for a bit, and glanced up quickly at Colfax to see if he had noticed. “So, has Adrian studied for that long too then?” he asked to continue the conversation. “About building houses and things?”

Colfax's main mode of conversation was silence, and so he hardly noticed that Charlie had drifted off into his own musings. Perhaps they could get along better than he had originally thought. Still, he glanced back to Charlie when he heard the viri speak again. A faint smile lit in his eyes at the question. If only the intense study program that was architecture could truly boil down to one simple phrase; but Colfax chose not to elaborate on it, since Charlie wasn't wrong. "Adrian just finished his fourth and final year of studying for architecture, though he tried some other fields for a year before that." Including art, he remembered, a time which had frustrated Adrian and amused Colfax to no end. "His work involves a lot more complex math than mine." Indeed, Colfax had once flipped through one of Adrian's notebooks, and many of the meticulously copied physics formulas had taken pages to write about how they worked.

Complex maths, yet another vague human area for Charlie to consider. From what he could tell humans had taken maths from useful concepts, like addition and measuring things and knowing how to build in angles, to strange (and completely impractical) abstract concepts. Even this he only knew because the human boy in his childhood home had always left his maths homework out. Perhaps Adrian could explain it to him sometime.

To Colfax, however, he said, “What exactly does your work entail, then? You… you study “non-human” things, for the purpose of what?” He looked down at the cast on his leg, his assumptions about human nature clashing with what he had seen and heard from Colfax so far. “So you can put casts on animals when they break their bones?” He knew some humans kept animals as kinds of companions, though this was only from hearsay- most viri wouldn’t even think of staying in a human household containing such dangerous creatures. Perhaps Colfax’s job was to help these “pets”.

"Among other things," Colfax replied, this answer coming to him more easily. Casts, sutures, injections, basically anything that might be needed he knew how to administer to an animal. "Eventually I will join a veterinary practice to help pets or rescue animals to recover." He wondered what that would look like to a viri. There were entire clinics devoted to rehabilitating animals that were, in the natural order, predators to them. In fact, Colfax's current plan was to spend some time doing research at a wildlife clinic before starting at a vet practice. He wondered if there were viri that lived outdoors, and what they would say about such a place.

Colfax considered that for a moment before glancing at Charlie's cast. It looked like a piece of plastic wrapped around him now, which was a promising sign. "How does the cast feel? It should be dry or nearly so by now."

Ah, so it would seem Charlie had been mostly right in his guess. He knew Colfax didn’t have a pet himself, and wondered why he would choose to deal with such animals then. The question was almost out of his mouth when Colfax asked one of his own. “Oh,” Charlie said, looking down at his leg. The cast was hard and strangely shiny now, which apparently was how it was supposed to be. “Er, it feels rather, erm, tight. I can still feel my toes though.” Almost subconsciously he wiggled said toes to prove it. “I think it’s dry though.” He reached down to test that, curious as to how the shiny, hard surface felt, before second-guessing himself and looking up at Colfax questioningly. With his hand hovering just above the cast he asked, “Can… can I touch it?”

Colfax nodded a few times as Charlie described how the cast felt. It was an excellent sign that it had dried properly. He would have patted himself on the back if his hands weren't occupied. "You may touch it," he replied to the viri's curious question. It was, after all, the best way to test whether it was ready. Though he was certain, based on the looks of it, that Charlie was ready to go. That would hopefully ease some of his stress, since he'd be getting some of his mobility back soon. "If it feels like plastic, you're in the clear." 

Still a bit hesitant, Charlie reached down and lightly touched the cast on his leg. It was dry, not even tacky, and he ran his fingers over it curiously. For something that looked so smooth and shiny it was surprisingly rough, the texture of the bandage still present in the hard shell. He didn’t dare try, but he felt like if he knocked on it his leg would hardly feel the vibrations. Having such a foreign thing on his leg certainly felt strange, but already he could see the benefits of such a structure. Colfax and Adrian weren’t kidding when they said he would be able to walk on it, Charlie was certain that given something to balance on he could hobble along pretty quickly. It was nothing short of miraculous. “It’s dry and hard,” he told Colfax, looking up at the human. A thought struck him and he asked, “It couldn’t crack, could it?” He planned on being careful, but the idea still kind of worried him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Charlie and Sawyer swap humans for a bit, and Colfax has an actual conversation with his patient. ^^


	27. Chapter 27

Meanwhile, Sawyer was making his way across the living room, doing his best to keep up with Adrian’s slow footsteps. It felt strange to be walking through the middle of the room, without sticking to the edges of the walls or under the furniture. The sense of space automatically made his heart beat a bit faster, though not in fear but excitement under these circumstances. So many new experiences in such a short span of time! Sawyer would have loved to make conversation with Adrian, but he wasn’t sure if his voice would reach all the way up there. Instead he settled for just walking (or in his case, perhaps jogging) next to the human, making sure to keep at least a foot away. He trusted Adrian to be careful, but he was still human, and therefore very, very big. Despite what Charlie may think, Sawyer actually did have situations in which he would rather be safe than sorry.

Adrian almost felt strange to be walking slowly, but he didn't think it would be polite to leave Sawyer behind. He hoped his walking speed didn't come across as condescending or something. When he made it to the kitchen, he paused at the counter. "This will be good, you can help me pick stuff out for Charlie," he smiled. "I feel like I've been serving the same stuff for ages, though it's only been a day." He found himself wondering how Sawyer was going to get onto the counter top. Was there a way in the walls? Had he brought his gear? He opened his cupboard, trying to decide what to put together.  _ Three guests.... two of them rather light... _ he thought to himself as he scanned the contents.

“I’m sure he’ll eat just about anything,” Sawyer replied, all but shouting up to him. “I know I will.” Sawyer was wondering the same thing, however. Unfortunately he’d left his gear back in the bedroom, as Adrian had already been leaving and he didn’t want to take the time to get it down. That didn’t mean that he couldn’t get up on his own, however- after all, where there’s a will there’s a way. He’d just have to get creative. He scanned the kitchen thoughtfully and with a practiced eye. The room was unfamiliar to him, as he’d never been in it when visiting Charlie before and certainly had never looked at it from this perspective. There was probably a way up to the counter through the walls, but he didn’t know where Charlie’s entrances were or where to go from there. That left only the visible options: the tablecloth didn’t drop low enough, the side of the counter was too smooth… oh, those drawers had designs carved into the wood. They would work nicely.

Adrian had decided on sandwiches for lunch, an easy, light option for the midday meal. That way he could easily cut proper portions for everyone. He retrieved the bread from the cupboard, and glanced to witness Sawyer begin his climb up the drawers. He couldn't stop a grin from widening on his face. The resourcefulness was one thing to hear about, and another to see in action! And, from the looks of it, the viri's deft skills at finding footholds would shame even some professional human climbers. "I had a friend on the adventure sports team at school, and I bet he'd be crazy jealous of how good you are at that," he remarked before turning to the fridge to retrieve some ingredients for the sandwiches.

A few seconds later, the novelty struck him; he was holding a friendly conversation and making lunch while someone climbed up the side of his counter like it was a rock wall. Amazingly, Adrian didn't even find it unusual. He was already used to the idea of having viri around. "I'm thinking sandwiches; do you have any requests?" he asked before closing the fridge. He hoped he wasn't being too distracting. Sawyer just made it look so easy that Adrian forgot that he was actually doing something somewhat dangerous.

Sawyer grinned as Adrian complimented him, swinging his legs up to another crevice and reaching up for his next handhold. He wondered idly what kind of things humans did for adventure sports; after all, all of the structures and furniture that viri could climb and jump off of and stuff were really small compared to humans. He doubted they built giant dressers to climb, but maybe they’d figured something else out. Perhaps he could ask Adrian later if he remembered. By the time the human asked him about sandwiches Sawyer was already about halfway up, but he paused in his climbing to think about the question for a moment. “Uh, if you have any turkey I’m partial to that,” he said, continuing his ascent even as he did so. With a small grunt he pulled himself up to the top of the second-highest drawer and added, “And Charlie likes Swiss cheese if you’ve got any.”

Adrian was still a little fascinated by how nimbly Sawyer navigated the drawers. He couldn't have ever imagined them being very climbable before, but it was like watching someone climb a ladder. After a few seconds, he nodded and retrieved what he had. He had the deli-sliced turkey already, but the Swiss cheese was in block form. At least that way it would be easy to portion things out. From a different cupboard he retrieved a cutting board, and from yet another drawer he got a knife. He set everything among his already-gathered ingredients, and began to arrange everything on a large serving plate. "Well, Sawyer, I'm glad that you're able to stay for a while as Charlie heals. I think it's doing him a lot of good. As your host, let me know if you need anything at any point and I'll do my best." The words came so automatically to him; Adrian had never once been called a bad host by anyone who knew him, and he took some pride in that.

It took a bit more time for Sawyer to get to the top of the counter, but by the time Adrian spoke up again he was seated on the edge catching his breath. He smiled a bit at the words, still amazed by the situation. Who would’ve thought a human would ever intentionally be playing host to a viri? “Yeah, I think it’s doin’ him good too,” he said, leaning back on his hands and still breathing a bit heavier from his recent endeavor. He looked up at the human with an odd, thoughtful sort of smile. “Thanks for the offer, Adrian. I doubt we’ll be that much trouble for ya.” It was a strange notion, asking a human for something rather than just taking it yourself. He had never before thought of what viri did as stealing from humans; after all, what little they took the humans didn’t actually  _ need _ . He had never really thought of ownership as being the same between the two. Now that they actually knew the humans personally, though, the whole concept seemed a bit more complex.

As Adrian worked, Sawyer slid away from the edge of the counter and stood up, stretching out recently worked muscles. Looking out from his new vantage point he appraised the room. It was a bit bigger than Colfax’s kitchen at home, though not by much. Everything was certainly  _ cleaner _ than at home, though whether that was because Adrian had just moved in or because Adrian naturally kept things more organized Sawyer didn’t know. His guess was that it was probably a bit of both. Honestly it might have been a good thing that Charlie and Adrian ended up meeting early on- it would have been really tricky to take the things he needed with such a meticulous human around. 

Adrian worked in silence for a few minutes, content with the task at hand. After making two sandwiches, he cut them into triangles. He then glanced at Sawyer to try to guess what might be the best proportion, and cut corners off of two of the sandwiches. After pressing these mini-sandwiches with the flat of his knife, he had a couple of almost viri-sized sandwiches. They would still be a bit large, but he thought they'd be able to manage. After he arranged everything neatly on his serving plate, he addressed Sawyer again. "Will these be enough? I can cut more. Eventually I can learn to get the portions right, but for now I just hope you're hungry!"

Sawyer turned and walked over to the plate of sandwiches, eyes widening slightly with surprise to see that the human had attempted to make viri-sized portions for them. He’d done a pretty good job too, even smushing them slightly to make them smaller. “These look fantastic, Adrian,” he said, sounding like he meant it too. “I’m sure they’ll be enough.”

Adrian was relieved that his attempt at making food had gone over well. It had kind of been a quick consideration, and he'd definitely prepare better for next time. But at least he'd made a passable meal. "Thanks," he answered, smiling at the compliment. "I guess we'd better take these to the others," he suggested, but then paused. "Well, I guess you just worked pretty hard. We can have them come here if you want, so you can rest." He silently admonished himself for not thinking. While it was very easy for him to walk into the other room, Sawyer had a bit more work on his hands for such a task. "Charlie's got his stretcher, and his cast is probably okay by now."

“No, no, better to not bother him,” Sawyer said, already at the edge of the counter once more. He knew just how much moving on that stretcher had stressed Charlie out, and he wanted to avoid that again if at all possible. “’S my fault for leavin’ my rope in the room. Wouldn’t be two seconds with that.” He grunted quietly as he slipped over the edge, his feet searching for a toehold in the drawers below. Going down was going to be a lot more risky than climbing up, but he was certain he could do it. “Jus’ give me five minutes and I’ll be down.” He hoped he wasn’t annoying Adrian by taking so long to do things, but he wasn’t a human so he couldn’t just jump off a counter and be fine. Luckily it seemed that Adrian wasn’t the type to annoy easily, so if Sawyer took a few more minutes to move around it shouldn’t be a problem.

"No worries at all," Adrian replied. He did suddenly feel a little bad for taking off so quickly, making Sawyer leave his rope just so he could keep up. He would have to remember that for next time. He waited patiently, though he couldn't help watching the viri's deft movements as he made his way to the floor. He was a little nervous about the fall, but Sawyer didn't even seem fazed by it. The fact that this was something the viri had to do every day, sometimes with minimal preparation, was amazing. Even the guys on those survival shows got to take breaks. Something in the back of Adrian's mind wondered if, as a building designer, he had the power to make some of that a little easier for the viri.

When Sawyer reached the floor, Adrian put those thoughts aside for the moment and picked up his serving plate. "Alright, shall we go see what they're up to?" he announced before starting towards the other room once more; he once again took careful steps and made sure he wasn't leaving Sawyer in the dust. Even so, they reached the hallway in time to hear Colfax answer Charlie's question.

"It could crack if put under enough pressure," Colfax admitted after a careful pause. "But unless you planned to bang it with a rock I doubt that will happen." There was a faint sarcastic gleam in his eye at the words. Still, with the cast dry, he wouldn't need to prop it up anymore. He carefully moved his hand to gently lay the casted leg on the dresser. He heard the faint tap sound that the material made on the wood. Excellent. The procedure was a resounding success. He almost wanted to write down everything immediately, but was stopped by the lack of pen and paper, and by a buzzing sound from his pocket.

He retrieved his phone, keeping it near his pocket and partly obscured with his hand to read the text he had just received. Surprise flashed across his face for a moment, but he suppressed it and hurriedly put the phone away, the message running through his mind:  _ I know about the viri and now I get why you're so secretive about your research. But it's okay; can I please join your project??? Call me. -Felicia _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, a bit of a cliffhanger there! :D You'll have to wait a bit for the rest, this is all I have for now~


	28. Chapter 28

Following behind Adrian, steps quick to keep up with the human, Sawyer got back to the bedroom slightly out of breath and feeling grateful that Adrian had made them rather large sandwiches for lunch. The human stopped in front of the dresser next to where Colfax was standing but Sawyer walked on over to where his rope was still hanging off the side of the furniture. Shimmying up it quickly, and resolving to remember it next time, he heaved himself up over the edge and gave Charlie a grin. “What’s Colfax saying about bangin’ somethin’ with a rock?” he asked his friend, wrenching the fishhook from where it was stuck in the wood and coiling the rope around his arm. “You two start an uprisin’ while we were gone?”

Charlie rolled his eyes. “Hardly. I was asking if this cast-thing could crack,” he replied, gesturing to his leg. “According to Colfax it shouldn’t. It certainly feels sturdy enough.” He glanced over at Sawyer as his friend sat down next to him, tossing the climbing gear over by his bag. In a quieter voice he observed, “You look rather disheveled. Since you forgot your gear I assume you just climbed your way around.” Sawyer nodded and gave him a sheepish grin, eliciting a sigh from Charlie. “I’ll have to draw you a map, there’s certainly easier ways around the place.” The walls were full of routes Sawyer could use, so long as he knew where they were. A ladder or a pulley system was certainly easier to get around with than just climbing straight up the furniture.

Adrian had noticed Colfax's brief expression of shock when he walked in, but decided not to bring it up just yet. He could always ask what was wrong when the two of them had a moment away from curious listeners. So, instead, he smiled and moved right along. "Lunch is served," he announced as he placed the plate on top of the dresser, near enough to the viri that Sawyer would only need a short walk to reach it. "That cast looks great," he observed, leaning in slightly to give it a closer look. It really was remarkable, and definitely the smallest cast Adrian had ever seen. "Good job." he said to Colfax, who chuckled faintly. Of course he'd done a good job.

Colfax took one of the sandwiches, and then noticed the smaller ones Adrian had improvised. "Good job yourself," he said, throwing the teasing remark right back at his friend. He turned his head to take a bite of his food, not wanting anyone to see him straight on while he ate. It was good, as Adrian's food usually was compared to anything Colfax would have made. Another buzzing sound emitted from his pocket, but this time Colfax just made a faint annoyed sound and ignored it. He glanced back at the others and offered a faint shrug. He would ignore Felicia's fanatic messages for the time being, but at some point he'd have to warn Sawyer that she must have noticed something. For now, though, he'd let it be so they could all take a well-deserved break from excitement.

Sawyer was trying to stack one of the viri-sized sandwiches on top of the other when he heard the buzz and Colfax made an annoyed sound. Charlie noticed nothing, as he was busy smiling up at Adrian, but Sawyer glanced over at Colfax with a puzzled expression. The human shrugged slightly as if it were nothing, but Sawyer wasn’t convinced. It took a decent bit for Colfax to be annoyed, and there were very few people indeed who had his number, much less who would actually text him. One of them was standing in the room. Curiosity piqued now, but not wanting to bother Charlie with it, Sawyer picked up the two rather large sandwiches and carried them back to where they were sitting. “Here you go,” he told Charlie, handing his friend one of the sandwiches. Charlie thanked him and took it, before doing a small double take and looking at it with surprise. Sawyer chuckled and said, “Yeah, Adrian worked on making them viri-sized for us.”

“Thank you, Adrian,” Charlie said, looking up at him in amazement. “That’s very nice of you.” Adrian never ceased to astound him with how considerate of them he was. It blew Charlie’s mind that a human, even one as nice as Adrian, would ever even think to go out of their way to make things easier for viri. Never in his life would he have expected it, though granted most of the things that had happened recently would have been unfathomable to him a few days before. He took a bite of the sandwich and gave Adrian a thumbs-up to show him it was delicious. Sawyer was already about halfway through his, though when Charlie glanced over at him he looked sheepish and slowed down a bit. There was a bit of silence between them as they ate, both hungry enough to finish even the overly large sandwiches due to recent events.

Adrian returned the thumbs up with a relieved smile. "It's no trouble at all," he replied, quite happy that his idea went over well.  _ Take that, Colfax, _ he thought with a smug look towards his preoccupied friend. Adrian had also noticed the annoyed sound, and could only guess that the texter from a few moments ago was being persistent. He took his own food and started to eat, thinking about whether he should say something. Colfax truly didn't have a lot of outward signs of what he was thinking, but Adrian had known him long enough to notice that his shoulders were slightly more rigid than usual. Very few things aggravated him that much. "Is your mom texting you, Colfax? Did you forget her birthday again?" Adrian asked, tilting his head slightly to get a better look at Colfax's face. When it turned towards him, there was nothing there to confirm or deny his suggestion.

"You remember my colleague, Felicia," Colfax began. Adrian nodded emphatically, remembering meeting the nutty woman once or twice. Colfax glanced at the viri and decided to explain a little background. "She's been trying to join my thesis project for over a year now. Every few weeks, she starts asking again." Which was true, though of course he hid the nature of her latest requests. "The cycle continues," he said drily, rolling his eyes when his phone buzzed once again. Pretty soon he'd have to shut the thing off while he thought of a way to clean up after his own mistake. He should never have taken Sawyer to the lab with him; but how could he have known that Felicia would be so aware of the signs already?

Adrian shook his head, almost chuckling. The few times he'd seen the woman, she had had some difficulty speaking to him, but she'd seemed odd all the same. Clearly her mind was always off somewhere else. "Bad luck, man," he said, though he was slightly amused.

Sawyer all but laughed outright at Adrian’s suggestion that Colfax forgot his mom’s birthday, remembering the instances before when that had happened, but his mirth was quickly stifled by Colfax’s response. He involuntarily stiffened as Felicia’s name was mentioned – was that the student they ran into at the lab? – and looked warily over at Charlie. Luckily his friend was busy eating and listening to the two humans, and hadn’t noticed a thing. With some difficulty Sawyer forced himself to relax, listening to Colfax’s explanation and hoping it was just that. Even so, Sawyer looked up at Colfax with a furrowed brow, his gaze confused and a bit concerned. What was really going on?

“Is your work really that important, Colfax?” Charlie asked, by no means meaning it in a derogatory way, simply trying to understand how a fellow student could be so persistently obsessive about it. Wanting to work with somebody was one thing, but asking them every few weeks for over a year was another level entirely. “What are you even doing for your… thesis project?” He slowly formed the new words, hoping he had said it right. He imagined this was the very long paper Colfax had mentioned earlier, the one he had to complete before he could move on to another specialized school, but he wasn’t entirely sure. Never mind how other people could take part in such a thing. He didn’t ask, though, deciding that he was probably pestering Colfax with enough questions without making him explain the entire nature of the project.

Colfax could see Sawyer's concerned glance in his direction, but did not meet his gaze. He couldn't risk making the two of them look like conspirators. It was actually quite a relief when Charlie voiced his curiosity, because it was a good way to distract himself from the problem at hand. He thought about the answer for a second or two. "If she works on the project with me, she can get at least partial credit for the work going into it. She can cite her work on it when looking for a job, if it is well received." And it would be well received, Colfax thought with peerless confidence. That's why Felicia wasn't the only one who had tried to join the project with him, but she was the most persistent. Though now he wondered if her motivations were different, now that he knew what she knew. "I'm writing a complete study about the medical and behavioral tendencies of small mammals to find out what is universal, what definitely isn't, and the wider implications of that." He stopped himself from explaining it further, as he was certain it would bore the others to tears.

Adrian had heard the description before, countless times. Usually, Colfax said it with slight annoyance that someone would ask, but Adrian could tell that this time, Colfax was a little proud to announce his work. It reminded him of the first time Colfax laid eyes on Charlie. No wonder he had been so determined to catch Sawyer. The viri, technically small mammals, fit neatly into his topic of research. In fact, Colfax was probably still wishing he could study and learn everything he could from Charlie and Sawyer, but he was holding himself back. That was impressive. "By the time he's done, it's going to be textbook-length, probably." Adrian commented with a smile. Indeed, he'd already seen the stack of paper that made up the first several sections of the study. The fact that Colfax had done that much without ever accepting a partner was astounding.

Charlie looked highly impressed, and Sawyer whistled in appreciation. “Damn, Colfax, I didn’t know all that stuff you were writing was for one paper,” Sawyer said, thinking back to the multitude of late nights he’d seen Colfax take just working on it. He’d hardly done anything else with his life for a year, or more. “That’s… that’s kind of insane.” Putting so much effort into one piece of writing, so specialized, just to be able to reference it in the future was more than a bit unfathomable to the two viri.

Charlie glanced over at Sawyer, and knew the same thoughts were running through their minds- they were small mammals, the very specific area of study that Colfax was spending so much of his life pursuing. He’d shown himself to be trustworthy now, and hadn’t said anything untoward after meeting them properly, but how much of him was still studying them with scientific interest? It was dangerous was what it was, and despite the trust he had gained in both of them Charlie and Sawyer found themselves a bit wary of Colfax nonetheless.

Still, there was nothing they could do about it now- Colfax had already promised to keep things a secret, and hadn’t betrayed their trust yet. It would only complicate matters further if they brought it up, as well as make everybody uncomfortable. Not for the first time, and probably not for the last, Charlie wished that none of this had ever happened. He liked Adrian, and was glad he had met him, but he would still give up that friendship to have the existence of viri be a secret to humans again. Then he wouldn’t have to spend every day worrying about how his own actions might be ruining the lives of his entire race; stress like that was bound to wear on a guy, and though Sawyer wasn’t nearly as obvious about it, Charlie knew he was feeling it too. Still, they both hid their concerns well, and the glance in which they shared these thoughts was brief. They would be able to talk about it later, away from the humans who, though unintentionally, were causing such paradoxes in their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that Charlie's cast is on, they should have a bit of a break! (That is, if this Felicia thing doesn't come back to bite them. And we all know how that usually goes. ^^;)


	29. Chapter 29

After Charlie's cast was on, Adrian felt in much higher spirits than before. He still felt a lot of his original guilt for causing the entire situation, but at least Charlie was on the mend. In the end, the viri moved into one of his more practical house models, an early one in which some of the doors weren't proportioned quite right. He'd made room for it on one of the lower shelves in his living room, so that whenever Sawyer got the itch to go exploring he'd have easy access to the ground. Over the next couple of days, Adrian got himself fully moved in, and the apartment started to take on that cozy, lived-in feeling once more. His mother even came to visit for lunch once, and just as Adrian had predicted, she never once paid attention to the little house in which Charlie and Sawyer were hiding. At least they'd have some peace while Charlie healed, and then... well, Adrian didn't know. He'd have to see what would happen when the day came, but until then, he played the part of gracious host wherever he could.

Colfax even came back a lot, though he often had to leave to work. The persistent text messages slowed down, too, but every single one of them made him frown faintly when he read it. He hadn't sent a response yet (and he usually didn't dignify Felicia's stupid begging with a reply anyway), but he kept trying to find a way to shut her down. He was quite positive that she wasn't adept enough to capture a viri on her own like he had done, but to drive her to drastic measures would be bad.

One evening, Colfax and Adrian sat on the couch in the living room, Adrian clicking away at his laptop, and Colfax reading a textbook. He'd been tasked by his professor to design an exam for some summer school students- earning his keep, as it were. The telltale buzz of his phone was heard from his pocket, and the human closed his eyes with a faint, frustrated sigh. Adrian, unaware of how dire the situation really was, snickered once or twice.

“Felicia again?” Sawyer asked, grinning as well. He never had figured out if it was the same girl they had run into at the lab, and honestly he’d mostly forgotten about it. At his statement Charlie looked up from where he had been writing in his annals, which he had finally caught up with the events that had happened in the last few days; everything from his leg breaking to their evening now was written in the small, timeworn book resting on his lap. He’d even written in some notes about the new medical procedures he had gone through, with details supplied by either Adrian or Colfax. Though he never planned on letting other viri know about his experiences with the two humans, as in his mind they were still highly illegal where the Code was concerned, part of him wished he could share his new knowledge. Surely there were others who could benefit from it.

The two viri were sitting on the porch, as they had termed it, which was really just the small section of the shelf left between the model house and the edge. It wasn’t that far of a drop to the floor, but it was enough that their legs still dangled over the edge without touching the carpet. Charlie’s cast was still holding up just fine, and he’d gotten so used to having it at this point that he hardly noticed the extra weight any more. True to form Sawyer had drawn all over it, with little cartoon bugs and plants and things, and Charlie had caved and added some designs of his own. They’d accomplished this by cutting off a small sliver of a Sharpie and using it as a marker, though with no way to hold it other than just grabbing the whole marker part, they’d ended up with a great deal of dye on their hands. It still hadn’t quite worn off, though it had been a couple of days and many hand washes later. 

"Indeed," Colfax replied noncommittally. Every time a new message came in, he thought he should warn Sawyer. The viri had a right to know that he had been discovered by a different human. But every time he tried to think about how to bring up the truth, the words just locked up. How could he admit to someone's face that he had  _ failed? _ Plus, he felt like if he just said it outright with Adrian and Charlie there, he would have a lot of anger coming at him from all sides. "She's been very persistent since I saw her at the lab a few days ago. That's what I get for letting her see me after the semester was over." He said the words fairly lightly, but his thoughts were completely occupied with that fact. His mouth suddenly dry, Colfax set aside his papers to get up and retrieve a glass of water. As he left, he didn't notice that his phone had fallen out of his pocket onto the couch.

Adrian could tell that Felicia's insistence was starting to wear on Colfax, though it seemed to be happening very quickly. His friend seemed a lot more bothered by it than he normally would be, which threw up several flags. Even so, he could help but adopt a sly grin when he saw the forgotten phone on the couch cushion. Reaching for it, he said, "Shall we see what his wife has been saying?" He smirked as he flipped open Colfax's efficient little tracphone and started to navigate to the text messages. His expression turned to unfiltered shock when he read the most recent message. The words in it scared him so badly that his hand flinched and he dropped the phone on the floor, fumbling it so that it landed face up. "Colfax, get your ass back in here and explain something," Adrian said loudly, his hand still shaking. The message ran back and forth in his mind:  _ "Please, Colfax. I've wanted to study the viri since I learned they existed. I won't steal credit. Let me join your project?" _

At Colfax’s words a small sense of foreboding had begun to creep up the back of Sawyer’s neck. It was probably nothing, but the fact that this had seemed to start right after he went to the lab – after they both went to the lab – returned him to his earlier thoughts about coincidence. He was about to put it out of his mind once more when Adrian suggested they read a text or two. Curious, both the viri leaned forward slightly, only to flinch back at Adrian’s unexpected reaction. His sense of impending doom now overwhelming him, Sawyer jumped down to the floor with the intent of reading the text. He paused for a couple of seconds and helped Charlie down from the small ledge. Once on the floor Charlie started walking on his own, with the aid of a crutch he had constructed a couple of days ago out of some matchsticks and a spare bit of cloth. Even before their ears had stopped ringing from Adrian’s yell the two viri made it over to the phone, their eyes widening as they each read the text. Putting two and two together very quickly, Charlie looked up at his friend and said in a very dangerous voice, “Sawyer…”

Mouth still agape from the shock Sawyer met Charlie’s gaze, his mind racing. Part of him was suddenly thankful that Charlie’s leg was in a cast- it meant he’d be able to run away should he need to. “She couldn’t have seen me,” he babbled out quickly, “I swear, there’s no way.” Charlie still looked hazardously skeptical so he continued, “I mean yes, a girl showed up while Colfax and I were at the lab, but  _ she didn’t see me _ . I don’t…” He was still quite confounded by part of the text, and he latched onto it with fervor. “I mean, she had to have known beforehand. Right? Because she knows the name viri, there’s no way she could have figured that out even if she had seen me.” By now Charlie and Sawyer were looking at each other with concern, all traces of blame lost in consideration of that concept. Could another human know about viri? And how?

Colfax didn't immediately realize what happened, so when he heard Adrian yelling at him from the other room, his first reaction was irritation. He set his glass down and headed back. "You shouldn't yell-" he started to say, concerned for the effect of the volume on sensitive ears. But he stopped in his tracks when he saw his phone on the floor, undoubtedly open to a text. He could have been angry with Adrian for snooping, but somehow he could tell now was not the time, and it certainly wasn't the first time that one of them had gone through the other's phone looking for ways to prank each other. But oh, how this had backfired. "Adrian, I planned to say something," was all he got out before Adrian stood up and stalked around the couch to him, careful to give the viri plenty of space. Despite being a full foot shorter, Adrian's angry blue eyes managed to keep Colfax patiently quiet.

"When was that, Colfax? We've been here thinking that they were safe when all along, there's a complete nut of a woman who is aware that you had a viri with you that day. At least if you'd said something we could have prepared!" Adrian spoke venomously, but he had at least moderated his volume. A shouting match at this point would be unnecessary. He could already see some furrowing in Colfax's brow, a telltale sign of his remorse. But that didn't change that he'd kept them out of the loop on something very important.

Stepping back, Adrian massaged one of his temples. "Okay, so at least now we're all on about the same page. Did Felicia say when or how she learned that viri even exist? And has she... caught anyone?" The question gave Adrian pause, mostly because he feared the worst answer.

Colfax looked over at the viri where they stood, his face showing signs of his concern. Adrian was right of course. He had put them at quite a risk by not telling them what was out there. That was stupid of him; the only course now was to try to correct the situation any way he could. "She has no idea how to find one, or so she says," he replied. "But she says she found a book."

Charlie and Sawyer glanced from the humans to each other, both on the same page. A book would explain everything- if she had found a viri book, a family annals like Charlie had especially, it would outline the entire inner workings of viri existence. If a human believed it, of course, which most wouldn’t; it would seem Felicia had though, and that made it very dangerous information indeed. “At least she hasn’t found anyone yet,” Sawyer pointed out quietly, knowing it wasn’t much of a consolation. He still felt as if this was his fault- if he had never gone to the lab with Colfax this wouldn’t be a risk for them. On the other hand, they never would have known that another human knew about viri. He didn’t know how, but somehow they could have the opportunity to fix that problem. They owed it to everybody else at least; who knows what a woman like that would do if she got desperate?

Charlie sighed and looked down at the phone, rubbing his face tiredly with one hand and thinking the same thoughts. “What are we going to do?” he asked, looking around at all of them. Looking up at Colfax he said, “I mean, you can’t exactly keep ignoring her. She might do something drastic. If she got her hands on a viri book, too, it won’t take her much longer to figure out how to find one of us.” His tone was matter-of-fact, but Sawyer could see the telltale tremors in Charlie’s hands even as he said it. This was their fault, the both of them, intentionally or not; if another viri got caught because of their actions with Colfax and Adrian, they’d never forgive themselves. The whole situation was rather unpleasant, and after a couple of days of relaxing and thinking everything was fine, it was also somewhat of a shock. Charlie had practically gotten used to interacting with humans on a daily basis. Now, however, they were given a stark reminder that in some cases, their previous assumptions about human nature may be unfortunately accurate.

Colfax sighed faintly. It was true, if he kept ignoring the texts, then Felicia would just go back to trying to find viri on her own. And, with this kind of confirmation of her obsession, she might just be galvanized into looking harder. She wasn't stupid, after all. And that meant that Colfax acting like he had no idea what she was talking about would never work either. Their only options were to convince her of the personhood of the viri, or to get her in a position where she wouldn't be a threat to them anymore. Neither route seemed pleasant or simple.

"What should I tell her?" Colfax finally asked. In most things, he would have been decisive without effort. But persuasion and mind games... these were not his forte. "She probably wants me on her side because I can get grant money without too much effort. At this point she must think the viri are much too difficult to capture without a lot of resources." If she knew that Colfax had caught a viri with some packaged food and a lot of patience, disaster could strike.

Adrian could see that Colfax was struggling with how to handle the situation, but that didn't make him less disappointed in him. After all, all this time he'd had the opportunity to ask for help in dealing with the persistent madwoman. Colfax's last words, though, did offer some relief. "Well, I guess for now it's good to let her keep thinking that." He glanced over at Charlie and Sawyer. "And of course make sure she never catches on that you guys are here." It was a small consolation, but at least she only knew about one of the viri. Adrian would probably fret endlessly if Felicia knew he was harboring an  _ injured _ viri. After a pause, he added, "Since she's never actually seen a viri that closely, maybe you could mislead her? So if she goes looking, she looks for the wrong signs or something." Adrian ran his hand back through his pale hair exasperatedly. "I don't know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a time jump here- it's now been a couple of days since Charlie's cast was put on. Looks like our small group is in trouble yet again! They do have a knack for it, don't they?


	30. Chapter 30

Both viri nodded emphatically at Adrian’s words; the last thing they needed was somebody else knowing where they were staying. Sawyer felt glad now that he wasn’t living with Colfax at the moment, as that would have been a bit too risky under current circumstances. Charlie, meanwhile, was mulling over Adrian’s ideas about misleading her. “There might be something we could use,” he piped up after a couple of moments, his mind racing. He had an idea, but he wasn’t sure how plausible it was. “Since she already has a viri book and all.” At that Sawyer’s eyes lit up and he grinned, knowing exactly where Charlie was going with this. His friend looked up at the humans and set about explaining. For once he didn’t mind telling them about it despite the fact that it was blatantly against the Code; they already knew about viri’s existence, after all, and if this could help them keep Felicia away then it was better revealed than left untold. “It’s an old viri tradition,” he said, “Every book has it, even the one from the French Revolution I have. Because of the possibility of humans getting their hands on a viri’s account, like what’s happened here, we always write in a kind of failsafe.”

“Basically, at the beginning of the book we make it seem like a work of fiction,” Sawyer said, jumping in. Every viri knew about this, as it was one of the most important parts of the Code that kept them secret. “You know, play off of humans’ myths about us. Say we’re leprechauns, or fairies, or whatever. We claim to be able to do magic or somethin’ ridiculous like that. That way, if a human finds the book, they’ll automatically think it’s something somebody made up.”

“Except Felicia seems to have believed in our existence anyways,” Charlie said. Now came the part that they were banking on. “If she believed that, mightn’t she have believed the rest of it? Maybe you could use the idea that we can do magic or something equally untrue to keep her from looking in the right places.”

When Charlie began explaining the failsafe in the viri books, Adrian and Colfax couldn't help but listen with quiet interest. They walked slowly back around the couch to listen, Adrian sitting on his knees on the floor and Colfax retaking his spot on the couch. It was honestly a brilliant bit of foresight on the viri's part. Colfax couldn't believe that he hadn't questioned that before. It sounded like the writers among the viri found a way to practice their craft despite the potential danger. And, from the way Felicia had talked about it in her text messages, she believed every word she read in her book. He tented his fingers in front of his face thoughtfully, trying to decide on what to tell her. "This does make dealing with her a little more straightforward, at least."

Adrian's creative side was running with the possibilities. The idea that so much human mythology had been developed and encouraged by viri all this time was mind-boggling. Who knew how much famous fiction was based on concepts borrowed from the viri's little historical accounts? He would have to keep a closer eye on what he read now. "So, what kinds of things can your family do, Charlie?" he asked with a grin. He couldn't help it. Even if Charlie's book didn't match Felicia's exactly, he was sure that whatever they came up with would probably convince her. After all, who says that consistency had to apply when you're talking about fairy tales?

After Adrian’s question Charlie held up a finger and began hobbling back to the shelf, on which he had left his annals and the answer. Sawyer took the opportunity to answer for himself; he knew it off the top of his head, mostly because as a kid he’d often wished his family were as cool as they claimed to be. “We’re desert spirits,” he said pleasantly, rocking back on his heels with a grin on his face. “Dust devils if ya will. Back in Texas that was pretty much the standard thing, as ‘bout all you had to work with was sand and wind. Ain’t hard to pretend you’re the one trackin’ sand into the grates and vents and things. You probably are.” He liked talking about his childhood, as it had been a good one. There were definitely days he missed Texas, the heat and the sun and the crazy-ass humans running around. He wouldn’t have traded his travels since then for the world, though, and if he had never left he would have never met Charlie. 

Speaking of whom, Charlie had returned, his makeshift crutch under one arm and his annals under the other. Sitting down on Colfax’s phone with a huff he stuck out his casted leg and set the tome on his lap, quickly flipping back to the beginning. “Just as I thought, we are leprechauns,” he said, turning over the page and scanning the back to make sure. “Sans pot of gold and cursed to live among humans, but with magic nonetheless.” A fond smile crossed his face as he remembered back to the stories he heard as a child. “When I was little my mum actually managed to convince me that my uncle Colin really did have magic. He was good at sleight of hand, but I was absolutely certain that he was a real leprechaun until I was seven. Even after that I wasn’t entirely sure he wasn’t.” Still smiling at the memories he closed the book and looked up at the humans. “It’s all a bit silly, huh? But practical nonetheless.”

Adrian's worries were momentarily tempered by the tales of Sawyer and Charlie's made up heritages. Even Colfax had leaned forward with interest to hear. It was one of the more brilliant defense mechanisms he had heard of. After all, many myths had specific things about how to catch their legendary creatures, and most of the methods would be trivially avoidable. "It's extremely practical," Colfax agreed. "The majority of humans would never give the books a second thought after reading such an introduction." Now that he thought about it, many humans probably had these little books in their possession, simply thinking they were anonymous works of fiction. He tried to think back to some of the other text messages he had ignored.  _ Can your specimen fly? _ she had asked.  _ What are the wings like? _ Colfax had simply rolled his eyes at that one, but now that he knew where she got the idea it fit. "I think Felicia's book must have said something about wings, because she asked me what yours are like, Sawyer."

Adrian chuckled at Colfax's tone. He sounded so unsure of what he was saying, no doubt because he was having trouble imagining someone actually  _ believing _ the viri's tales. "Sounds like she's been looking for fairies," Adrian quipped. "Which is good, because nowadays that term is so general." Indeed, it seemed that none of the folklore could agree on how to catch a 'fairy' just because there was so much to read. "That's probably why she hasn't caught anyone yet. She'd be looking for sparkly, winged people." Looking at Sawyer and Charlie, the two of them looked, well, normal. Even with one of them sitting on a cell phone like it was a bench, it was hard to imagine mistaking either of them for a mythical creature.

Charlie snorted with laughter at the idea of Sawyer having wings, and Sawyer himself couldn’t help but chuckle. The image of Sawyer with bright, sparkly fairy wings was a bit too ludicrous to think about without mirth. They might have laughed more were the topic at hand not so serious. “Well, it’s a lucky thing for us that she is,” Charlie said, closing the book on his lap and setting it to the side. Looking up at Colfax he continued, “I think it would be best if you supported these fancies of hers. The more falsehoods you feed her, the less likely she’ll be to notice any real viri.” She already thought they could fly, which was good; after all, what little evidence their climbing gear left around houses was probably the most obvious sign, but she would never even consider it. Hopefully with more such notions she wouldn’t really be looking for viri at all.

Sawyer had been thinking through things as well, and piped up with, “And if you could convince her to let you read the book she has that’d be great too. It can’t hurt for us to know what she thinks she knows that you know about us.” A flash of confusion crossed his face, and he worked through the last sentence again in his head. Charlie rolled his eyes and Sawyer made a face at him before saying, “ _ What I mean to say is _ , we should have an idea of the information she’s working with.”

Though Charlie was still grinning teasingly at his friend, he nodded his agreement. It made sense; even what little information they had gathered now was going to help them keep her from the right track in the future. Charlie was very curious as to the book as well, whose it was and how she had obtained it. Hopefully it was an old account, as the more outdated the methods written in it were, the more likely Felicia would be to miss signs of modern viri.

Colfax nodded once at Charlie's instructions. Of course, he'd probably have to do a little reading to figure out what to say about fairies, but it was probably a lot easier than researching a real creature. Then, at Sawyer's first attempt at creating a sentence, Colfax raised an amused eyebrow. Even Adrian had to purse his lips to keep from laughing at Sawyer's momentary confused expression. But, even though Colfax knew that it was the most practical suggestion, he couldn't get over one thing. "This means I'll need to spend some time with her, doesn't it?" he asked, his tone neutral but his eyes showing signs of his hesitance. Even just a short meeting to read the book would probably grate on Colfax's nerves.

Adrian didn't even try to hide his smirk. "Don't be such a baby. It's not like she isn't already desperate to get your interest. If you asked, I bet she'd meet up with you anytime to discuss your 'research'." He said the words to be encouraging, though he was aware that Colfax had genuine trouble dealing with people he didn't like, which was almost everyone. Even so, there wasn't much Adrian could do to help. They couldn't have Felicia finding out about his involvement, or she might figure out where Charlie and Sawyer were hiding. But a teasing remark came to mind of a sudden, and Adrian couldn't resist. "She might even buy the coffee for your little date." He had to chuckle a bit when Colfax sent a sharp glance his way.

"So... should I message her back now, or...?" Colfax asked, sounding resigned to his fate.

“I think it’d be the best thing,” Sawyer said, a bit of pity tingeing his voice. Though he had cracked a smile at Adrian’s teasing, and knew full well that a bit of social interaction wouldn’t go amiss when it came to Colfax’s attitude towards the world, he still kind of felt bad for the guy. After all, this wasn’t exactly going to be a pleasurable interaction; meeting with an obsessive coworker to give them lies about people you were trying to protect could hardly count as a fun time. It probably wasn’t going to improve Colfax’s social inhibitions, but they could worry about that later. “The sooner you get in touch with her the less likely it is she’ll do something stupid.”

With a sigh Charlie muttered, “I guess that means I should get up now, huh?” and with a bit of help from Sawyer he stood up off of Colfax’s cell phone. Sawyer picked up Charlie’s book and ran it back to the house for him. Meanwhile Charlie got his crutch situated and moved a few steps away from the phone, leaving the area clear for one of the humans to pick it back up. Leaning on his good leg Charlie looked up at Colfax expectantly and asked, “What are you going to say to her?” Sawyer returned and stood next to him, waiting for the answer as well. They were both very curious as to how this would go, and wanted to be kept in the loop as to what Colfax said to Felicia. After all, it was very important that he didn’t mention certain things, even by accident.

Colfax nodded once, begrudgingly agreeing with Sawyer's reasoning. He'd already put off answering Felicia long enough anyway. He held out a hand, and Adrian retrieved the phone for him, placing it in his palm. He thumbed through the menus to queue up a new message, and then paused. "I'll probably tell her what I have already told her about my research in the past," he replied. "That my work is sensitive but I don't think I need the help. But, in the interest of fair play, I would like to..." it seemed like the words were hard for him to say out loud, "meet up with her to discuss the matter." Indeed, the very idea that Colfax was  _ volunteering _ to go and meet up with someone made him tense up his shoulders even as he typed out the message. With a faint, resigned sigh, he pressed “SEND”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fantastic idea of having the viri write human myths in their books was made up by @PL1, though I (rather unfairly) got the fun of implementing it into the story. ^^ It's such a fun notion to play with, goodness.


	31. Chapter 31

Adrian adopted a sympathetic expression, smiling encouragingly. It was remarkable to see Colfax willingly take a hit for the team that way. At least Colfax had some experience sitting down with his fellow grad students and telling them that they couldn't work with him. But that, he knew, had all been in or near the lab, where there was no pretending that it was a social meeting. If he could, Adrian would have pat his back. "Thank you for doing that, Colfax." he said kindly, genuine gratitude in his voice. He knew that only the first half of the meeting would probably pose some difficulty for him. After he got to the point where he could start saying no, Colfax would likely run on an intimidatingly-confident autopilot about why he couldn't let anyone join his research. Adrian turned his gaze to the viri. "He may be pouting now, but I think a part of him secretly likes having people try so hard for a spot on his team," he said in a mock whisper. Adrian didn't see it, but he knew that behind him, Colfax rolled his eyes.

The viri both chuckled appreciatively, but Charlie said, “Well, secret feelings aside, thank you Colfax.” The gratitude in his voice was genuine; despite the fact that Colfax was part of why this was a problem in the first place, Charlie knew this was hard for him, and was thankful nonetheless. “We really appreciate it.” He looked over to Sawyer, who nodded in agreement. Colfax’s efforts could very likely be saving a viri’s life, and it might be their own. After all, there weren’t  _ that _ many viri in the area.

With a smirk Sawyer added, “Yeah, we would go talk to her ourselves, but somehow I don’t think that would go over well.” Charlie snorted, just imagining that conversation. ‘ _ Yes, hello, we’re here to tell you that we don’t exist and you shouldn’t try to pursue this line of inquiry. Oh, and by the way, we’re totally magical fairies. Thank you, have a nice day. _ ’ That is, if they were even able to get a word in edgewise before she went crazy and started getting all grabby. For a ridiculous notion, it was actually quite frightening. Sawyer was still grinning at his joke, and Charlie took a deep breath in and smiled as well. No use getting all worked up over a hypothetical situation that would never happen. After all, that’s what Colfax was going to do. No need for them to be directly involved, ever.

Charlie was about to say something else when a loud buzz came from Colfax’s phone. “That was quick,” he commented, sharing a surprised glance with Sawyer. Looking back up at the human, who looked fairly nervous himself, Charlie asked, “What did she say?” Though this particular reply probably wasn’t very significant in the long run, he couldn’t help his heart from beating a little bit faster. Even Sawyer seemed to be on edge.

Colfax nodded when he received Charlie's thanks, still feeling a little guilty that he'd caused the mess in the first place. But, seeing how the viri could maneuver around now, thanks to the cast he had put on, Colfax did manage to wrestle down his feelings. He had made the most prudent decision at the time. At least now they were aware of the danger Felicia presented. He allowed himself to smirk when Sawyer joked, but left the chuckling to Adrian. He was about to add in his own quip about it, when the phone in his hand buzzed eagerly again. His already-faint smile vanished, and he flipped the device open to read the new message, disapproving of the typos resulting from overexcitement. "She says she can meet at the Coffee House in thirty minutes," he remarked, sparing them Felicia's chat speak. "She's going to bring her book." At least that had worked out, now Colfax would be able to have a direct look at everything Felicia knew.

Adrian remained seated on the floor as his friend wearily stood. He didn't want Charlie or Sawyer to feel  _ too _ loomed over, though he knew there wasn't that much he could do to make that feeling go away entirely. "You'll do fine, Colfax," he said up to him. When the dark eyes turned his way, he added, "It's not like you don't have tons of practice telling people that they can't join your research." He barely heard the amused scoff, but knew that he had succeeded nonetheless. His tall friend's weary shoulders straightened as he stepped around the couch toward the door. "Be sure to come back and let us know how it went, okay?" he called after him. When Colfax muttered a quiet confirmation and gave a brief flick of a wave, Adrian turned back to the viri.

* * * * *

Colfax gripped the steering wheel of his car tightly as he drove. He couldn't fathom what he was doing. Meeting up with Felicia to lie about how he was studying  _ fairies?! _ The fact that she still believed the stupid children's tales enough to give her book a second thought was... disappointing. He'd always known her to be an oddball, but he at least assumed she had common sense. He was thrown by the discovery of little people, of course, but never once had he thought something as silly as magic was the cause.

He waited in his car for several minutes after he parked, trying to let his irritation wear off. He needed to be convincing to fix the mess that he had caused. Even if that meant pretending that his serious work all this time had really been a fun jaunt in a magical fairytale. His sigh was heavy when he left his car and approached the dingy little cafe, a favorite for many overworked grad students.

She was already there. Colfax's sharp eyes caught her waving from a booth tucked away in a corner. He saw two mugs of coffee at the table.  _ Adrian was right, _ he thought wryly. He suppressed a groan as he walked over and sat down across from her, his face once again a neutral mask. She glanced to his side, and only seemed slightly disappointed that he hadn't brought his computer bag. "Hi, Colfax! Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me," she said, thankfully keeping her voice down.  _ So she at least knows not to gab about this to just anybody. Good. _ "I know that discretion is necessary, and I assure you I'm up for the job."  _ Jesus, it's just like every other interview I've had to endure. _ "I'm glad you're considering me-"

He had to stop her before she continued all day. "Don't get ahead of yourself," he said, his tone of voice immediately quieting her. "I still don't know if you even have anything to contribute to my research."

"Right! My book!" Felicia exclaimed. She rummaged around in her mid-sized but clutter-filled purse for a few seconds. She finally retrieved what she sought, and produced a plastic case meant for playing cards. She slid it across the table to Colfax, who gingerly lifted the lid away. The tome inside looked delicate with age, but still hefty considering the size of its writers. He glanced up at Felicia, who nodded emphatically, before lifting the book out of the case. Holding it in one hand and moving the tiny pages in the other, Colfax squinted at the words and read slowly. It was an old story. He at least didn't scoff out loud at some of its claims, but some of them were so obviously false.

Colfax enjoyed the silence as he read. Felicia waited patiently, though he had a feeling she eagerly anticipated his reaction to her little find. So far, everything she "knew" about the viri was unsurprising. Wings, magic, a penchant for mischief, and an ecstatic love of all things shiny sounded familiar. So did the details about living inside the walls of some human homes "on occasion" as the book so tactfully put it. Colfax, knowing what he did about the viri's writing practices, couldn't help but pick up on the faintly sarcastic vibe coming from the words. For a moment, he imagined what it would be like to exchange witticisms with the diminutive writer of the volume in his hand.

Once he'd seen enough to have a good idea of the nonsense Felicia had willfully stuffed into her own head, he gingerly closed the book and returned it to its case. When he looked back up at Felicia, she was taking a sip of coffee. She choked down a startled gulp of still-hot liquid and put the mug down, looking him over to try reading a reaction in his expressionless face.

"I applaud you for finding this book," he began, giving the small treasure back. "If I had something like this before, my studies might have gone a lot smoother up until now." He worried that he wouldn't sound convincing. The words felt so forced that he was surprised she didn't immediately key in to his lying.

Her shoulders slumped a little. "So you already knew all this?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly. She hadn't added  _ anything _ useful to what he knew? Felicia made herself smile, her gaze fixed upward at his passive face.  _ Please let me join in anyway, _ her thoughts pleaded. Colfax always looked so... unimpressed. How could she know what he was thinking? He stirred half a packet of sugar into his coffee while he mulled it over.

Outwardly, Colfax looked calm. However, as he took a sip of his drink, he was quickly trying to drum up some creativity. He really had to sell this if he wanted to get Felicia off his back  _ and _ off the viri's trail. "Of course I already know," he scoffed. "I've been studying for over a year now.  _ Without _ a guidebook." He let himself sound a little derisive, but didn't overdo it. Still, he didn't pretend to be apologetic when he continued. "I'm not convinced right now that you can add anything to my research. When you said you had one of their books, I thought  _ maybe _ ... but I bet you don't even know when, where, or how you'd manage to capture one, let alone  _ tame _ it." Partway through his little speech, Colfax had to start pretending he was talking about something else, to keep himself from frowning.

Felicia's eyes widened and her smile faltered. "B-but I could learn! You could teach me," she sputtered. She was so close! Colfax sighed, and it made her heart plummet.

"I don't have time to catch you up." He started to stand, his lips pursed. Seeing the tears forming in her eyes and the defeated slump of her shoulders, Colfax inwardly congratulated himself. It seemed she bought it. "No hard feelings. But it's probably better if you leave it to me. Thank you for the coffee." After seeing her shallow nod, Colfax turned to leave. His hands trembled for a moment. He had done it. Hopefully Felicia's zeal would soon run out after this discouragement.

After he left, Felicia allowed herself to wallow in her disappointment for several seconds. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths to fight back the tears. Now was no time to cry. Colfax was so arrogant! Sure, she would take a while to get up to speed, but that was no reason to lock her out! She seethed, angry that he hadn't even let her  _ see _ the specimen she knew he had. A sudden thought stopped her breath in her throat. She didn't have to learn how to capture and tame a viri (or "fairy" as the common folk called them). Colfax had already done that for her.

Newly galvanized, she stood and left the cafe in a rush. Thankfully, Colfax's car was just leaving the parking lot. Adjusting her purse on her shoulder, Felicia practically jumped onto her worn blue scooter. She was going to see Colfax's viri specimen whether he thought she was worthy of it or not! 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter chapter, but I couldn't resist leaving you guys with that cliffhanger! :D What's going to happen next?! Even we don't know yet...


	32. Chapter 32

"I'm guessing he won't linger there any longer than he has to," Adrian commented after Colfax left the apartment. Seeing that the two of them still looked a bit on edge with the whole situation, he tried to think of something comforting to say. "For once I'm really glad for his... cold confidence. I've seen him make his own  _ professors _ doubt what they were saying before." He smiled good-naturedly, knowing that until they got Colfax's report, the three of them were going to be a little tense with uncertainty. "While we wait for him to come back, do you guys need anything?"

Charlie sighed. He didn’t doubt Colfax’s ability to deal with Felicia, but it was nerve-racking all the same. “No, thank you Adrian,” he answered, giving his friend a small smile. “I’m fine. I think I’m just going to go sit on the porch again.” Crutch in hand he made his way back to the shelf and their house, with the intent of writing more in his own annals. After all, quite a bit had happened unexpectedly that morning, and much of it was important. He wanted to write it all down before he forgot anything. With any luck, the writing might make him feel a bit more in control of everything too, and ease some of his nerves. In the last couple of days he had actually managed to relax some, but now that all this was going on he was back to the familiar feeling of having his heart perpetually pound a little too quickly.

After watching to make sure Charlie didn’t need any help getting back on the shelf, Sawyer turned back to face Adrian. Cracking a smile, and betraying some of his own anxiety in doing so, he said, “Well I don’t know ‘bout all y’all, but I could do with somethin’ to eat. Ain’t no use worryin’ on an empty stomach.” Behind him Charlie rolled his eyes, but Sawyer didn’t notice, or if he did, didn’t care. Winking at Adrian he said, “Race you to the kitchen,” and took off towards the nearest entrance into the walls. Charlie had drawn him a map and explained all the routes thoroughly a couple of days ago, and Sawyer was already used to traveling through the walls like usual instead of moving around the house like the humans. It was just easier, especially when it came to things like getting to the kitchen counter. Spending five minutes climbing vertically up furniture was a waste of time and effort when you could just use the pulley system and pop out right where you needed to be.

Adrian returned Charlie's smile, a touch of concern furrowing his brow. By now, he could recognize some of his small friend's tells, and the poor viri looked stressed indeed. He thought about saying something, but Sawyer spoke up, drawing his attention. Adrian was going to reply, but instead he voiced a quiet noise of surprise when Sawyer darted off suddenly and startled him. With a faint chuckle, he got to his feet. Before walking out of the room, he spared Charlie one more glance. He was a bit glad to see that his friend had at least found a temporary distraction in his book. Sitting idly during such a tense situation would be no good for him. Adrian turned to pursue his "race" with Sawyer. When he arrived in the kitchen, he scanned all of the countertops, wondering if Sawyer really had arrived before him. The sheer efficiency and cleverness of the viri's passages within the walls made his architect's brain run wild. "I wish I could see for myself how you guys get around," he commented as he opened up the fridge.

“Maybe someday I can run a really small camera in through there,” Sawyer said, having leapt out of the door in the wall just as Adrian made his comment. He was completely out of breath, having just dashed up and through a great distance, but he was grinning from ear to ear. Despite not having beat Adrian, the fact that he got there practically at the same time was a feat in and of itself. The recent dash might have actually been a personal record on his part. “You know, one of those little webcams or something. Then you could see what I actually have to go through to get here.” He said it jokingly, a grin still on his face. Actually, it would be kind of fun to show Adrian around the place. Knowing him he’d totally get a kick out of it. 

Sawyer's first comment didn't sink in right away. Adrian was reaching into the fridge to retrieve a small (to him) Tupperware full of tiny cuts of fruit. He had practiced making viri sized portions, and was rather proud of the result. When he set the container on the counter, it was like he had just set a trunk full of apple and pear slices in front of Sawyer. He paused with the lid half off when Sawyer mentioned a webcam, and it finally got through. His eyes widened with delight at the thought. "Wow, do you think that could work? That would be incredible!" He leaned back against the opposite counter, taking a few seconds to imagine it. "Of course, I'd understand if that's not actually allowed," he added, a faint smile remaining on his face.

“Eh…” Sawyer said, thinking through the legalities of it. He walked forward and picked up a slice of apple out of the Tupperware. For a moment he stopped and marveled at it; Adrian was getting really good at this whole viri-sized food thing, it was practically like Sawyer had cut the fruit himself. Getting back to his original thoughts he answered Adrian with, “Well, it’s probably not allowed, technically speaking, but we’re already so far down that rabbit hole…” He rolled his eyes, just thinking of all the Code regulations they had already broken under recent circumstances. “As long as we don’t actually record anything we should be fine. If Charlie’s okay with it too, I mean. After all, it is his house.”

Adrian's pale eyes looked even brighter as he kept thinking about the possibilities. He had no doubt in his mind that being able to see the viri's perspective inside the walls would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It would definitely make him a better architect to see how building features that he wouldn't otherwise give a second thought might be used. Maybe once he started getting jobs, he'd have to try to design a home that was convenient for both humans  _ and _ viri. He doubted such a project would be too ambitious. "Thank you for offering, Sawyer. If there's a chance, I'd be happy to see what it's like in there for you guys."

“Sure,” Sawyer said amiably, licking the fruit juice from his fingers. “I doubt Charlie’ll be too opposed. Just find me a camera and I’ll give you the grand tour.” He grinned at Adrian, still marveling at what they were doing. Not only were a human and a viri talking as friends, they were considering giving the human insight into every aspect of their lives.  _ And he wasn’t even worried about it. _ Why should he be? Adrian certainly wasn’t going to do something horrendous with the knowledge, and he knew so much already it was hardly a surprise. Still, on the rare moments Sawyer sat back and thought about what they were doing, part of him was absolutely blown away by it.

Adrian chuckled, Sawyer's enthusiasm for life lifting his worried spirits some. He was once again glad that, despite the bad happening lately, he'd met some remarkable people because of it. He would probably never let himself forget that he was the sole cause of Charlie's situation, but he would also never let himself forget what he'd learned. "Sounds like a fun plan," he replied, trying to remember where he'd left his portable web camera... ever since he got a laptop, he hadn't needed it as much. "Do you think Charlie will want any of that?" he asked, indicating the fruit. "We should probably make sure he's not worrying too hard in there, hmm?" He certainly didn't want to deprive Charlie of Sawyer's fearless aura.

“Yeah, maybe,” Sawyer said in response, standing up and wiping his hands on his pants casually. “I don’t think that kid eats enough when he’s worried.” Charlie certainly was good at worrying, too; it was practically his favorite hobby recently. Adrian was right as well in thinking that it would be better if they were both in there with him. Even if he was just writing in his book, having other people around was bound to be more comforting than being alone with your thoughts. Already halfway across the counter, Sawyer said to Adrian, “I’ll see you back in the living room.” With that he disappeared back into the wall entrance, closing it behind him. It settled flush with the wall as if it had never been there in the first place.

_ That wasn't so bad, _ Colfax thought to himself as he drove back to Adrian's apartment. He had thought for sure that Felicia would make some kind of scene in front of all those people. He almost felt bad for leaving her sitting there near tears. But he knew that it had to be done. At least now he could focus on more important matters again. He still had his actual research to do, as well as monitoring Charlie's progress with the cast. Surprisingly, as he parked in the street next to Adrian's building, he found himself looking forward to taking the good news back to the others. 

_ Where is this? _ Felicia asked herself, her expression puzzled. She had parked her scooter several buildings away on the same street, but she knew that Colfax didn't live here. All the grad students were at least vaguely aware of where each other lived, in case of last-minute collaborations. But Felicia knew that she could count Colfax's friends on one hand. Her heart fluttered a little when she realized who must live here: Adrian, possibly the most beautiful person Felicia had ever seen, and Colfax's best friend (somehow). She blushed to think about the few times she had met Adrian and been completely star-struck by his looks. This was just too  _ perfect _ . Here she was about to catch herself a real live fairy, and princely Adrian was involved in the whole story somehow. She watched and waited, wondering if perhaps that made her the princess in this fairytale.

Adrian didn't conceal his surprise when he saw Sawyer use the tiny door in the wall. He leaned in close, lightly brushing his fingers over the spot. His meticulous eyes barely found the seams, but he was positive that most people wouldn't even glance in that direction. It was just a bare patch of wall. "Neat," he commented quietly, before picking up the container of fruit and heading back into the living room. He sat on the floor again, a little closer to the shelf this time without crowding it, and smiled at Charlie. "We thought you might like something to snack on while we wait for Colfax to come back." He gently set the food next to where the viri sat, careful to make sure his hand didn't come too close.

Charlie glanced up from his writing as Adrian returned, giving him a smile. “Thank you,” he said gratefully. The Tupperware was tall enough and close enough that he could just reach down and grab something, which he did. “You spoil us,” he told Adrian with a laugh. “It’s already cut up and everything. By the time I get better I’ll have forgotten how to do things for myself!” Part of him still couldn’t believe Adrian’s constant kindness; it was so opposite of what he had ever expected from a human. Sawyer hadn’t returned yet, but Charlie wasn’t concerned. Apparently it wasn’t a race this time, so he was probably making his way back to the living room entrance at a normal pace.

Adrian chuckled, putting his hands up and shrugging in a “what can you do” gesture. "I had to practice. I am pretty good at crafting things to scale, but I have to admit I've never done that with food." Even as he spoke, he had considerable doubts that Charlie would forget anything. After all, he'd grown up knowing how to make his own way in a world scaled twelve times his size. Remembering the near-invisible door in the kitchen, Adrian was once again amazed by how much the viri had adapted to the world. He almost added to his comment, but looked up when the door opened. Colfax closed the door behind himself, leaning on it briefly.

The tall human could feel curious eyes upon him. He turned to look at Adrian and Charlie in turn. He offered them a faint but genuine smile and a brief thumbs up. "I scared her off," he announced, sounding slightly pleased with himself. "She won't want anything to do with me or my research after that." He wasn't surprised to see Adrian's relieved grin. But, he was also expecting to hear a reaction from Sawyer, so when he didn't hear one right away, he glanced around, wondering where the viri would emerge from the walls.

“That’s great!” Charlie said, enormously relieved (and mildly surprised to see a real smile from Colfax). He set his book down on the shelf next to him and offered Colfax a smile of his own. “Good job, thank you so much for doing that.” That was at least one less thing to worry about now. He turned, expecting to see Sawyer out of the wall and sharing in their relief, but he was nowhere to be seen. Frowning, he looked around the room, wondering if he had chosen to come out somewhere else for some reason. He couldn’t find hide nor hair of him. Looking up at Adrian with faint worry, Charlie asked, “Sawyer was coming back, right? He didn’t stay in the kitchen?”

Meanwhile, in a wall space between the kitchen and the living room, Sawyer had gotten himself into a fine pickle indeed. Swearing to himself, he looked up- at the stairs he was supposed to be on. In an attempt to go back down quickly and perhaps beat Adrian back to the living room, he had slipped and fallen off the side of the viri-constructed stairs, landing rather harshly on the support beam below. Squinting in the gloom, and rubbing his arm where he had bruised it in the fall, he tried to determine how best to get out of this predicament. Hoping that there would be some way to climb back up later (or that perhaps the stairs would make their way down to his level) he set off, climbing over and around wood and nails when they impeded his path.

Adrian shrugged his shoulders, looking puzzled but not as worried as he might have been before. "He said he was coming back," he replied, remembering how quickly he had disappeared into the wall moments before. Of course, it was possible that he had taken a detour, or maybe gotten lost. After all, he wasn't as used to this house as to his own yet. But then again, Adrian would never have thought that a viri could lose sense of direction so easily. Especially not Sawyer, who he knew had trekked the viri equivalent of several miles to visit Charlie in the past. He decided that maybe a little concern wasn't out of place. "He might have been still hungry and decided to get a little more to eat," he suggested, standing slowly. "I'll go check."

Colfax watched Adrian exit the room before stepping away from the door. He didn't show it, but he was quite happy that he had succeeded in turning Felicia away. Not only did it mean she'd finally leave him alone, but it also meant that she was unlikely to be a threat to Charlie and Sawyer now. Despite the bumps in the road, this whole venture was turning out better than expected.

He opened his mouth to mention this to Charlie, but the door opening suddenly brought his sense of ease crashing down. Colfax's heart seized up when he heard the shrill voice of Felicia saying, "Think I'm not good enough?! Who are you to tell me I'm not good enough?!" Colfax was turning towards her with alarm, hoping to shove her back out the door before she glanced over and saw Charlie sitting out in the open. But he only saw her holding up a small device before an intense burning sensation assaulted his face and eyes. Colfax reeled back, completely blinded and in intense pain, swearing vehemently.

Felicia didn't hesitate to give the taller, stronger human the best shove she could manage. Colfax stumbled back several steps, obviously unable to counter her thanks to the dose of pepper spray she'd gotten him with. Served him right. She looked wildly around the room, hoping she wouldn't have to attack Adrian too, but her gaze fell almost immediately on Charlie. Her eyes widened, sparkling with glee, and she crossed the room in a rush. Obviously fate was on her side, placing a viri out in the open for her. She didn't hesitate to reach down and pluck him off the shelf where he sat, her grip firm enough to keep hold but not enough to crush the tiny creature. Before Colfax could recover and stop her, Felicia dashed out the door, holding her quarry close. She had just broken in and assaulted someone, but the squirming creature in her grasp made it all worth it. And, as a bonus, she glanced behind to see that Adrian was in pursuit, calling after her to stop. So she got to see him after all, how lovely!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh noes! :0
> 
> I love leaving you guys at cliffhangers, I think it's an addiction. XD


	33. Chapter 33

As Felicia burst into the room Charlie gave a cry of alarm and tried to scramble to his feet, but the cast on his leg was too bulky. Before he could manage a thing the madwoman had disarmed Colfax with something and was bearing down on him quickly. He yelped and tried to push her fingers away as they approached, but to no avail; within seconds he was caught tightly in her grasp, his breath forced out of his lungs with a gasp as she took off with him. Mind-numbing terror flooded through him as he struggled, his casted leg hanging limply, uselessly below Felicia’s grip. Faintly he could hear Adrian calling after them, and hoped desperately that he could keep up. This was an absolute nightmare. The feeling of human fingers pressed so tightly against him almost made him hyperventilate, the fear and adrenaline leaving him shaking and weak as he tried vainly to fight back. The only thing keeping him from passing out was his certainty that it would result in terrible consequences.

Felicia had left her scooter where it was down the street, with the key still in the ignition. She had only planned to get back at Colfax- she had no idea that claiming his viri specimen would be so easy. As she arrived at the scooter, she reached out with her free hand to open up a small compartment between the handlebars, meant for phones or glasses. It would be a little cramped, but she figured the viri would fit. She slowly placed the struggling viri into the compartment while also swinging her leg over the seat. "Just a few moments, and you'll be right back out again," she said breathlessly. After making sure he was seated in the compartment, she closed the lid softly and kicked off.

Felicia had placed Charlie into the small compartment despite his panicked attempts to stop her. As soon as she had let him out of her constricted grip he tried to sit up, but she was already closing the lid. He tried to push it back, stop it from coming down, but her strength was predictably overwhelming and he had to concede lest he lose a finger. The lid clicked down and Charlie began to hyperventilate in the small, dark space; he hardly fit, he was still completely overrun by terror, and the lack of air wasn’t helping him recover from being trapped by human fingers. There was a rush of sound as the scooter started up and the next second he was all but slammed against the hard plastic wall. Attempting to shift as best he could in the cramped space Charlie frantically pushed up against the lid, but it wouldn’t give. He was trapped.

Adrian was almost there. Felicia had to pause to stow poor Charlie in a compartment on her scooter. In a few more paces, he'd be able to catch up, and he held out a hand as he sprinted in anticipation. But, his hand swung wide and missed her as Felicia took off. "No!" Adrian yelled after her. He continued to follow for almost another block, but eventually lost too much ground and halted, stooping over to catch his breath.  _ Charlie's gone... she took him so easily! _ He turned to jog back to his apartment, hoping against hope that Felicia hadn't also gotten Sawyer. He couldn't believe he'd let this happen. He hoped Colfax knew where they could look for the lunatic.

Sawyer had finally made his way back onto the path in the walls and was walking toward the living room when he heard an enormous commotion from the room outside. Somebody with a high-pitched, female voice was yelling, and all the blood drained from Sawyer’s face as he set off at a sprint. Careening down the walkway he burst out of the wall in a panic, just in time to see Adrian tearing out the door yelling after somebody. Colfax was staggered against the wall swearing, clutching at his eyes in obvious pain. Sawyer glanced over at the model house, a frightened “No…” passing his lips as he saw that Charlie was nowhere to be seen. Heart pounding he dashed over to it, vaulting up onto the ledge and all but stumbling through the front door. “Charlie?!” he called out frantically, searching every room in the house and hoping to god that his friend was hiding somewhere. All the rooms were empty, however, leaving Sawyer standing for a moment in shock before running back out the front door. 

Colfax waited in vain for the stinging to stop. He vaguely heard Adrian leave, and he knew what that meant. Somebody had been taken. With a growl, he steadied himself and walked into the kitchen, feeling his way around. Once he found the sink, he turned the cold water on full force and ducked his head under the stream. He let out a grunt of pain as the water aggravated the pepper spray all over again, but after several seconds he grabbed a towel and wiped his face. After that, his eyes and skin still stung, but it was tolerable to have his eyes open. Coughing lightly, he went back to the living room, his eyes going to the shelf just as Sawyer frantically exited the little house. The human knelt before the viri, his vision still too hazy to tell whether or not Sawyer was hurt. "Are you okay?" he rasped, feeling like someone had run sandpaper through his entire skull.

“I’m fine,” Sawyer said curtly, sounding the least fine he could possibly be. “But Charlie’s gone.” His voice was strained, his eyes glassy even as he spoke in a forced monotone. He was barely holding himself together. “What happened?” he asked Colfax, looking up at the human. Colfax’s eyes were flamingly red, the skin around them viciously irritated. “What did they do to your eyes?” he added, concern lacing over the monotone. He knew that Colfax had tried to keep Charlie safe somehow, and a morbid part of him was curious as to what had so violently stopped him from doing so. At least he had been able to try; Sawyer hadn’t even been there. The viri’s hands started shaking at the thought of how he had let his friend down so badly. Charlie was gone, Colfax injured, Adrian in pursuit… and Sawyer had done nothing.

Colfax shook his head, his brow knitting. "Felicia followed me. Got me with pepper spray and-" He put the back of his hand over his mouth to stifle some wheezing coughs and blinked several times. "-and I assume she took Charlie while I was... useless." Colfax rarely let himself admit to a failure out loud, but now it was all he could think of. He could live with always being a little scary to the viri, or always being an insensitive jerk. But now, Charlie's life could be in real danger because of Colfax's lack of action.

Adrian shuffled in the door, his breath still coming in heavy. He closed the door behind him, leaning heavily against it. He couldn’t measure his relief to see that at least Sawyer was safe, though he had equal guilt for not catching Felicia in time. When Colfax turned a steady (but squinty) gaze toward him, Adrian pursed his lips and shook his head. "I tried to catch her. I-I didn't even kn-know what was happening until she..." his voice trailed off and Adrian moved to kneel next to Colfax on the floor. "If I hadn't set that stupid trap, none of this would have happened," he said softly, barely able to look Sawyer in the eye.

“It’s not your fault Adrian,” Sawyer said, clenching his trembling hands into fists. “It’s mine,” he added, and then he broke down. “God dammit!” he yelled, whirling around and kicking the side of the house in frustration. There were tears in his eyes, and his jaw was clenched with overwhelming guilt. “How could I be such an idiot, getting seen at the lab like that,” he muttered, mostly to himself. Not to mention that if he hadn’t fallen down those stairs, if he had been here to help Charlie when he needed it, his friend wouldn’t have been kidnapped. Everything Charlie had done for him, and this was how he repaid him. By making mistake after mistake. Turning back to face the humans he set his jaw determinedly and said, “We have to go after him.”

Colfax waited patiently, recognizing that Sawyer needed a moment to be frustrated. He rubbed one of his eyes irritably, knowing that it wasn't helping but unable to resist anyway. He could see in the corner of his eye that Adrian's hands were twitching, wanting to comfort Sawyer. But he knew that Adrian couldn't even stand brushing someone as they walked by, let alone willfully patting them on the back. Colfax focused his attention again when Sawyer looked back at them, apparently through his venting process and ready for action. He nodded approvingly. "You should gather your climbing gear. If Felicia's house has any viri passageways, plan on taking full advantage of that."

Adrian raised his eyebrows at Colfax's words. He had accepted Sawyer's assertion without any hesitation. That kind of loyalty from someone like Colfax was astoundingly rare. "If you know the general area where she lives, I can probably spot her stupid ugly scooter," he pitched in, hoping that he could somehow be useful in this rescue mission. He remained where he sat as Colfax stood and retreated to the kitchen again, muttering about more water. Adrian clasped his hands to stop them from twitching, and set his jaw. "We'll get him back. And, since that lunatic broke into my home and assaulted Colfax, I'm betting we can get her ass tossed in jail if she tries anything."

“Sounds great to me,” Sawyer muttered grimly, turning and heading back in the house. Making his way to the room at the back right corner, which he had claimed as his own space in the last few days, he set about gathering his climbing gear. Picking up the coil of rope with the fishhook at the end he set it over his shoulder so that it laid diagonally across his chest. Rummaging through the rest of his gear he put on his utility belt, which had more helpful things on it like parts of matches and homemade candles. Having no idea what the house would be like, or even if there would be viri-modified passages at all, he had to be as prepared as possible. After double-checking that he had everything he might need, Sawyer walked back out of the house, taking a seat on the edge of the porch until Colfax finished washing out his eyes again.

While Sawyer was collecting his things, Adrian got up to check on Colfax. He found his friend drying off his face once more at the kitchen sink, looking like this rinse hadn't been as effective as the other. Still, he straightened up when he saw Adrian enter. "What are we actually going to do once we get there?" Adrian asked, his voice reflecting his hesitation. He had no idea how they would be able to get Felicia to let Charlie go now that she had him. Colfax thought about it for a moment, and then pulled his phone out of his pocket, starting a text. "What are you doing?" Adrian asked, more curious than anything, though his voice had a tense edge to it.

"Just giving Professor Harrison a heads-up that Felicia has finally snapped," Colfax murmured in answer, which was the truth. Regardless of how their rescue mission went, his and Felicia's boss would at least be aware of the fact that she had been extremely unethical. Once he put his phone away, he looked Adrian in the eye. "I'm not sure what we will do once we get there. But, if I must distract Felicia's attention, you may need to be the one to carry Charlie out of danger. Can you do that?" He spoke seriously but not harshly, knowing what it meant to ask him this. Colfax saw his friend's hands quiver a moment before they were steadied, and Adrian nodded slowly. "Good," Colfax answered with a single nod of approval. Then he led the way back to the shelf where Sawyer waited, offering a hand without hesitation. "Ready?"

"Yep," Sawyer said determinedly, getting onto Colfax's hand with as little hesitation as it had been offered. Now was no time to shy away from human contact, especially considering that they all had the same goal- to help Charlie. Besides, he trusted Colfax wholeheartedly, and Adrian too for that matter. He was grateful that, despite whatever may have happened between the two humans and them earlier, Colfax and Adrian were loyal and determined when it came down to it. No qualms, no questions, just immediate and determined action. Tightening his grip on his gear he looked up at the two of them and said, "Let's go rescue Charlie."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, I told you I wouldn't leave you at that cliffhanger for long! Things are far from resolved though...


	34. Chapter 34

Felicia hummed to herself as she pulled her scooter up next to her house and killed the little engine. She dismounted the vehicle before carefully opening the compartment, smiling to see the viri still safe and relatively sound in there. "I bet that was quite a ride. But no worries, no more big trips after that, I promise," she announced as she lifted him from the confines of the box to the confines of her hand. She entered through the side door of the duplex, locking it behind her. She set Charlie down on her kitchen table, taking a seat before him, her eyes zeroing in on his cast when she finally noticed it. "What happened there? Did Colfax...? And what about your wings, aren't you supposed to be able to fly? If Colfax did that, I'm sure glad I got you away from him before he could do any worse." Though, she admitted to herself, it would make it quite a bit easier to prevent the viri's escape until it was used to her. She placed her hands on the table and tilted her head, scrutinizing him plainly.

The motion stopped, and though Charlie tried to prepare himself he was still blinded when Felicia opened the lid to the small compartment. In the time it took for his eyes to adjust she’d already picked him up, causing him to let out a choked gasp as he was brought into the open. He tried to get his bearings as she walked into the house, but was still disoriented from fear and the rough ride. He was barely able to tell that it was a neighborhood he wasn’t familiar with before they were inside and she was setting him down on the kitchen table. Once she did so he scrambled away from her as best he could, which wasn’t much given his casted leg and muscles weakened by terror. Desperately he looked around, but the idea of escape was laughable. Even if he didn’t have his leg to worry about, which he did, he was high on a table with no way down and no known hiding spots to run for. Swallowing thickly, he forced himself to look up at his captor, his muddled brain gradually processing her words.

Well, there was no use not talking to her- she had a viri book after all, so she knew that he was completely literate in English. The only choice seemed to be playing along with her questions and keeping up the fantasy until help arrived; which he hoped desperately it would. “C-Colfax did n-nothing but put the c-cast on,” he stammered, unable to hide the fearful shaking in his voice. He drew back from her keen gaze, not at all liking being under such close observation. Wings, that was because she thought he was a fairy right? What on earth was he supposed to say to that? “And I n-never had wings,” he stated, hoping she would buy the lie he was about to spin. “My family was c-cursed, we c-can’t f-fly.”

The viri was so much more fascinating than Felicia could have imagined. She made a sympathetic face at his stuttered words, lightly clucking her tongue pitifully. "That sounds  _ awful _ . I'm sorry to hear that," she replied. She smiled in what she imagined was a sweet and encouraging way. "You're still the most fantastic thing I've ever seen," she told him enthusiastically. Though she hoped he would get used to her soon. She wanted to learn all of the things Colfax had insisted he knew.  _ She _ wanted to be the expert, and show him just how capable she was of scientific advancement. "You know, I told my family that your kind was real. That magic really can exist. And now I get to be the one credited with its discovery, thanks to you!"

“D-discovery?” Charlie squeaked out, not at all liking what he was hearing. So far things were progressing much like he had expected they would the first time he had been caught by a human, before Adrian had proved himself to be kinder than Charlie would ever have imagined. Felicia, however, was beginning to prove his assumptions about humans  _ right _ . Which, besides being absolutely terrifying, meant that Charlie was in trouble indeed. The fanatic zeal and thinly veiled greed in her eyes practically had Charlie quaking, but he had to try and speak up anyways. “I-I can’t help you with that though!” he protested, shaking his head vehemently. Unfortunately it didn’t sound very convincing, even to him. “I don’t even have w-wings. It’ll be hard to convince people that m-magic exists with a fairy that d-doesn’t even have wings, r-right?” Though he doubted she was going to change her mind anytime soon, he couldn’t help a faint tone of hope from slipping in.

Felicia felt her heart melt with every stammered word that came out of the viri's mouth. He was absolutely  _ darling _ . But he presented a valid point. He certainly didn't look like she would have expected. And clearly he was terrified of humans. Colfax had obviously lied about taming him! But Felicia still felt confident in her venture. Even this poor, injured specimen was more than she had started with. Now at least they wouldn't call her crazy for believing! "You're right," she replied. "But at least I've rescued you from that jerk, Colfax!" She stood up suddenly, holding up a hand as if to say "wait here" and announced "I've got something just for you! I think you'll like it."

That said, she left the room for several minutes to search for her "gift". When she returned, Felicia was holding the handle of a mid-sized birdcage. "Tada! Your own house," she said as she placed it on the table opposite her little guest. It was furnished with very intricate-looking doll's furniture and a few polished shiny trinkets, and may have passed for a lush bedroom if not for the dull grey bars.

When she left the room Charlie had taken another look around, but his situation was still as dire as it had been with her there. She was back quickly, and he gasped with horror at what she held in her hands. With a smile on her face she presented an absolute monstrosity, an enormous cage filled with viri-sized furnishings. It was with more than a bit of terror that he realized she truly was delusional. His hands began to shake and he avoided looking at the cage, his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach at the thought of being forced inside of it.

"I-I already have my own h-house!" he said hoarsely, though he knew his protesting would likely result in nothing. "If you r-really rescued me, then y-you would l-let me go!" It was a long shot, he knew; given everything Felicia had gone through to capture him, he doubted she was just going to let him go. Especially since she saw his kidnapping as a rescue, and a cage as a gift. The extent of her delusion was truly despairing, and terrifying to boot. 

Felicia chuckled. "Where would you go?" she asked, no malicious intent in the question, as insensitive as it was. Poor silly creature, he certainly wasn't going to stroll on home with his leg in a cast! "Give it a try, won't you? If you want me to rearrange things that'd be no problem. These are all authentic replicas!" she said proudly, reaching for him once again. When she picked him up, she let him sit freely on her palm this time, though she ferried him toward the open cage. "I even managed to get some actual little books," she added as she gently deposited Charlie on the cushy doll bed. As an afterthought, she moved the tiny bookshelf closer to it so the miniature classics would be within his reach. "See? Your own little library." Felicia was absolutely delighted. She had spent months collecting all of the furnishings in the cage, and she was so happy that it finally had an occupant.

Before he could answer her first question she was reaching for him, and he yelped and tried to scramble away from the approaching fingers. It was no use, however, and though she didn’t crush him in her grip this time he was no less trapped. Despite his frantic efforts she stuck him inside the cage, setting him down on what looked like a doll’s bed. He scrambled off of it as she babbled about books, balancing awkwardly on his good leg. Her hand moved past him and he squeaked in surprise, nearly toppling back onto the bed as the bookshelf was drawn towards him. He spared the books a cursory glance, noting that they were all human stories before turning his attention back towards Felicia. She looked positively chipper, which only served to lower his spirits even more; almost surprising, considering how low they were already. “I don’t want b-books,” he said glumly. It was a phrase he never expected to come out of his mouth, but then again this entire situation wasn’t something he had ever expected. “I just want to go home.”

Felicia tilted her head, her eyes full of pity. "I know new places can be nerve-wracking," she replied sympathetically, but completely missing what he was trying to tell her. She closed the cage door with a faint clinking noise, and then carefully lifted the entire thing. She carried it into the living room, where she set it onto a coffee table that looked like she'd recently cleared it for this purpose. Sitting down at the couch, she peered in at her little viri. "You miss Adrian, right? Maybe I can see if he'll come and visit sometimes. I'd need to convince him not to blab to Colfax, though. It always amazed me how someone like Colfax ended up with a friend like Adrian. I guess he's just noble that way, huh?" She leaned forward and almost looked embarrassed. "Gosh, where are my manners? I'm Felicia. It's so wonderful to finally meet you."

He tried to protest as she closed the cage door, but he couldn’t even hobble over there and it only came out as a strangled sort of yelp. The motion of the cage being lifted up was enough to overcome his precarious balance standing, and he fell backwards onto the bed with an ‘oomph!’. Sitting up again as she placed it on the coffee table, he felt tears stinging the back of his eyes and he choked back a sob, trying his hardest not to start crying in front of her. Then she mentioned Adrian and he failed, tears streaming down his face as his shoulders shook with emotion. He buried his face in his hands, ashamed to be breaking down in front of her but unable to keep the fear and stress and despair inside any longer. She introduced herself but he couldn’t answer her, and what’s more didn’t want to. He had never been so afraid and miserable in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Charlie's in quite the pickle... but help is on the way! :D


	35. Chapter 35

As Colfax stood up once more, this time with a passenger, Adrian spoke. "I'll drive. She won't recognize my car so at least we'll have some element of surprise." Colfax nodded. Thankfully, they had enough information between them to be able to figure out where Felicia had gone, so finding her wouldn't be the issue. Getting Charlie back safely and without also revealing Sawyer was the challenge. Adrian led the way out of the apartment, locking his door behind them. There didn't seem to be anyone around, but Adrian saw Colfax hold up his free hand to screen Sawyer from view during the short walk to the car. "Where do I go?" Adrian asked as he started the engine.

"Get onto Fremont and head towards 22nd," Colfax answered, vaguely remembering the area where Felicia lived. He hid it well, but in truth he was somewhat at a loss for what they'd have to do once they got there. Storming in and taking Charlie back would likely just escalate the problem further, and it risked breaking even more fragile viri limbs in the process. He found himself hoping that Sawyer would be able to get into the house somehow, because he could probably get a door unlocked for them. He tried to formulate an action plan as the car moved, but was a little unsettled by how many unknowns they were facing.

Colfax stood up and Sawyer sat down quickly, aided rather forcefully by gravity. He kept his balance as best he could as they walked to the car, realizing rather belatedly that Colfax had placed his other hand between him and the outside world. Good; the absolute last thing they needed was yet another human mixed up in this mess. They got into the car and the hand Sawyer was on settled on Colfax’s lap. As Colfax gave Adrian directions and the car started, Sawyer shifted in his position but didn’t bother getting off of Colfax’s hand. Though the sensation of being held for so long without being set down or moved to somewhere else was a bit uncomfortable, there was no point in moving. Hopefully the trip would be a short one.

Colfax drummed the fingers of his free hand lightly on the handle of the car door. Occasionally, he'd give Adrian another direction, but mostly the humans remained quiet. The big question that seemed to dominate both of their thoughts was this: what would Felicia do with Charlie? Colfax hoped that she planned to keep him healthy, regardless of her long-term plans. He wasn't sure what he would do if they arrived to find that she had hurt her captive. "We should be close," he finally remarked, indicating the residential street they had turned onto.

Adrian nodded and slowed down, glancing at every driveway. He almost missed it, but he caught sight of Felicia's scooter parked around the side of a duplex. He parked across the street and a few houses down from it. "That's definitely hers. The one on the left, see her scooter?" he turned in his seat to point at it. In the corner of his eye, he saw Colfax turn and lift his hand slowly so that Sawyer could see out the windows, too. Adrian turned back to the others. "What should we do?"

Colfax glanced once more at the house. "We don't know where she'll be keeping him," he pointed out. "But if we don't have a clear path from him to the door, it's all over." He paused, his gaze going to Sawyer for a few seconds. "If one of us can get Charlie to an entrance to the walls, Sawyer can get him to the exit while we talk Felicia down." He still wasn't completely convinced of such a plan, since they didn't even know if there would be entrances, but no matter what they did Felicia would need to be distracted.

As Colfax lifted him so that he could see out the window, Sawyer sought out the house Felicia was in. He spotted the scooter Adrian mentioned, and as Colfax mused over a plan he examined the house. Frowning at the result of his observations, he said, “I don’t know how well that would work. See the other part of the duplex?” Here he pointed to the rest of the house, the part that Felicia’s neighbors owned. “They’ve got invisible fence stakes put up, and a water bowl outside. That means a dog- no viri would take up residence near this house.” He sighed deeply, rubbing his face resignedly as he explained. “Meaning, I doubt I can even get into the walls without a lot of trouble, not to mention making my way through them.” He was beginning to seriously worry; the more time that passed the more danger Charlie could be in, but if they barged in there recklessly they could risk causing an even worse scenario than whatever he was going through now. A thought occurred to him and he turned to face Adrian, saying, “What if you just went, Adrian? She’s less likely to be hostile towards you, especially if you can fake being interested in her research or whatever.”

Colfax raised his eyebrows at Sawyer's suggestion. It actually sounded quite possible, especially because it reminded him of something. "Or pretend you’re interested in  _ her. _ " he added. He thought back to a day at the lab, right after Felicia had run into him and Adrian at the cafe. She went on and on about him, and though Colfax had tuned most of it out in great irritation, he remembered how taken she had been with his pale friend. At Adrian's more than skeptical look, Colfax nodded and raised an eyebrow. "You're gonna have no trouble getting into that house."

Adrian still frowned, unconvinced. He had barely met the woman twice. "I guess it can't hurt to try," he said reluctantly. He glanced between Sawyer and Colfax once more before opening the car and making his way towards Felicia's house. He nervously pushed a hand back through his hair, wondering what he would even say. With a sigh, he pressed the doorbell switch once.

Felicia's face became very concerned. The poor thing... he really did miss Adrian already. But who could blame him? "Oh! D-don't cry, little one! It'll be okay-" She was interrupted when a chiming noise from the front hallway startled her. She frowned with confusion, but stood hesitantly anyway. "I'll be right back, okay?" she said in a soothing tone, unaware of how little comfort her words would offer. She checked the peephole in the front door first, and then with a gasp threw the door open. There he was, standing on her doorstep! "A-Adrian!" she said, feeling weak in the knees. He had shown up just when he was needed most. He was more than a prince- he was an angel!

Charlie sniffled as she got up to answer the door, only to snap his head up sharply at her exclamation. Adrian was here? Relief flooded through him, and he almost started to sob again from the pure release of emotion. Scrubbing the tears off his face with his sleeve he turned around, trying to get a glimpse of the front door from his view on the coffee table. They had found him quickly, thank god; he had never been so grateful to see anyone. At this point he was suddenly and overwhelmingly grateful to be friends with a human, as strange as that was. There was simply no way a viri could have ever found him, much less come to his aid. He wondered where Sawyer and Colfax were. Did they have a plan?

“We need a plan,” Sawyer said with a slight growl, staring at the door, which had just opened for Adrian. He watched the human walk inside the house, his mind whirling as he tried to think through all the possibilities. “I don’t think he’ll be able to get Charlie out on his own, but it would all go downhill if she saw either of us.” The viri looked up at Colfax, a general idea forming. It wasn’t much, more of a back-up strategy than anything else, but it was all that he could come up with. “What if we snuck up by the front door? If you opened it slightly and quietly I could sneak in. Then if Adrian distracts her enough I could run in and get Charlie and we could come back out to you. Or, if things inside don’t go very well, I’ll know and you can come help.” He said the words rather haltingly, unsure of the merit of this plan. Still, they couldn’t just stay out in the car with no idea of what was going on inside.

Colfax couldn't agree more. Even as Adrian entered the house and the door closed behind him, he was wondering how to ensure Charlie's safe escape. And Sawyer was right about one thing- Adrian couldn't do it by himself. The man was not a fighter. He focused his gaze on Sawyer when he began to lay out a plan. He nodded thoughtfully. "Just remember that Felicia seems to know what to look for. I'd rather she not catch sight of you, too."

Even so, he cautiously exited the car, once again hiding Sawyer from the sight of any casual observers. Colfax walked with purpose, knowing that simply sneaking up to the house would look too obvious, tall as he was. He moved a little slower once closer to the house, making sure nobody would glimpse him through a window. Finally, Colfax sat down next to the front door, taking a deep breath when he realized how much his heart was pounding.

He glanced down at Sawyer, suddenly very hesitant to let him go walking right into such a dangerous situation. He reached up behind him to slowly, silently turn the doorknob, glad to find it unlocked. He ferried Sawyer to the sliver of space he'd opened up and whispered, "Once you've got Charlie and made it as far as you can, Adrian can get you to the car and get you guys home. I'll need to deal with Felicia."

~~~

"Come on in, please, Adrian," Felicia had said pleasantly, reaching out to grab his hand and lead him inside. Adrian felt his whole body go rigid at the contact, but didn't pull away. He closed the door behind him, making sure the lock was not latched, and allowed Felicia to pull him into the living room. He pulled his disgusted gaze away from her hand on his and toward the apparent centerpiece of the room. He almost balked at the sight of Charlie's sorrowful face peering out from an over decorated  _ cage _ . How could she possibly think that was okay? He hardly registered her announcing his arrival to Charlie, as if she were talking to a guest at a party. "We're going to chat in the kitchen for a few minutes, but then we can all come back and chat, okay?" she chirped, before leading Adrian away again. He went hesitantly, but remembered his job as a distraction and followed her, wishing she'd let go of his hand. He sent a glance back at Charlie, mouthing the words “Help on the way,” hoping that Colfax and Sawyer were indeed on the way.

Charlie looked on with surprise as Felicia dragged Adrian into the living room, his eyes immediately going to where she was holding his hand. Though he knew Adrian cared about him, he had never expected that Adrian would push past his outright phobia of physical contact just to help him. He knew how tense it was making him, though he could also tell that Adrian was rightly horrified at his current situation. As Adrian mouthed the words Charlie nodded, immediately seeing what they were trying to do. Felicia dragged Adrian off to the kitchen and Charlie stood up, using various furniture items to balance as he hobbled his way over to the door of the cage. He wanted to be ready for when Sawyer or Colfax made their way to him; somehow. 

Sawyer nodded as Colfax set him down, looking up at the human with a serious glance as he stepped onto the ground. He understood completely- if he was Colfax, he would want to take care of Felicia himself too. Their main priority right now was Charlie, though, and it was with this in mind that Sawyer slipped quietly and carefully through the crack in the door. He peered around the edge, only to duck back quickly as Felicia walked by, dragging Adrian along behind her. Heart pounding from the close call, he chanced another look. The two humans had gone into the kitchen, which was in direct sight line from the front door but divided from the living room by a short hallway and a wall. Luckily enough Felicia seemed wholly involved with talking to Adrian; still, he would have to be very careful not to be seen. Glancing to his right Sawyer saw a small end table in the hallway, with a space underneath just tall enough to hide him. Waiting until Felicia had turned around to pull something out of a cupboard he made a dash for it, sliding underneath the end table as quickly as he could.

"So, did you walk all the way here?" Felicia asked once she'd gotten Adrian into the kitchen. She almost giggled like a little kid at the thought of  _ Adrian _ in her  _ house _ , but managed to hold herself back.

Adrian almost laughed the idea off as completely ridiculous, but realized from the look on her face that she was serious. Instead, he nervously chuckled and tried to change the subject. When she turned to her cupboards to retrieve a pair of glasses, a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye almost made Adrian turn towards the hallway. But, knowing that it must mean Sawyer and Colfax were taking action, Adrian was determined to keep Felicia occupied in the kitchen for as long as he could. "Y-you have a lovely home, Felicia. Thank you for inviting me in. The  _ living room _ especially seems very cozy," he said, stammering at first but slipping into casual politeness easily. He placed some emphasis on “living room” in case Sawyer was listening in and unsure where to search for Charlie. Luckily, Felicia didn't seem to notice, instead jumping slightly at his compliment and fumbling a glass.

Felicia let out a small "Eep!" when the object clattered to the floor, very relieved to see that it didn't shatter. She looked at Adrian, her face blushing fire, but he just held up a hand. "Allow me," he said, before kneeling to retrieve it and handing it back to her with the kindest of smiles. 

She took it with a shaky hand, placing it on the counter and getting another from the cupboard. "Th-thank you," she said breathlessly. "I'm really glad you came to visit. I think the viri will take some time getting used to things here, and a familiar face will really help."

_ Hopefully no one ever has to get used to being here, _ Adrian thought, flashing her another polite smile when she handed him a glass of water. "I did come to make sure he was alright," he said, heaving a mental sigh before continuing, "but I also wanted to... see you and make sure you were a good fit." On anybody else, Adrian thought, the words would have sounded so forced and laughably insincere, but Felicia's eyes told him that he had her full attention. He hoped none of the others could hear this stupid charade, though he knew that Colfax was probably smirking wherever he hid himself.

The conversation in the kitchen was more than a bit on the ridiculous side, but Sawyer had to admit Adrian was doing a good job holding her attention. As he emphasized the words “living room”, Sawyer knew that was meant for him, and turned his attention towards the room at the end of the short hallway. Though there wasn’t very much cover to hide him in the rest of the hall, as soon as Sawyer made a run for it he should be out of sight of the kitchen. As long as Adrian could hold her attention in there for long enough, he should be able to get to Charlie without being seen; of course, getting back was going to be another matter entirely.

Still, he steeled his nerves, and when he was certain Felicia only had eyes for Adrian he dashed out from underneath the end table. He didn’t bother to run along the edge of the wall, instead making a beeline straight to the room- after all, the only human they had to worry about was currently preoccupied. Sawyer made it to the living room after a short sprint, only to skid to a halt in shock at what awaited him there. She had put Charlie in a  _ cage _ , a horrible metal thing, and he didn’t think he’d ever seen anything so monstrous in his life.

Charlie looked over as Sawyer ran into the room, relief plain on his face. He stuck his arm through the bars and waved frantically at him, though the logical part of him knew that there was no way Sawyer could have not seen him in this thing. Sawyer waved back and ran over to him, disappearing from Charlie’s view as he got closer to the coffee table. Twining his hands around the bars of the door to the cage anxiously, Charlie watched as a fishhook flew up and dug into the table, the rope tied to it tugging it securely into place. It jostled a bit as Sawyer climbed up it, but he was quick at climbing and within a minute he was pulling himself up over the edge. Giving Charlie a crooked, worried smile Sawyer said, “Need a hand?” That almost set Charlie to tears again, but he nodded and returned the smile weakly. Sawyer rushed over to the cage and started to work on getting the latch to the front door open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Operation: Rescue Charlie is in full swing! But can they pull it off?


	36. Chapter 36

Colfax was grateful for how few cars went past Felicia's house. It meant he could listen to what was going on inside. He couldn't hear the actual words that Adrian and Felicia said, but he could hear the _awkward_. If things weren't so dire right now, he'd probably allow himself to laugh. As it was, he needed to keep himself unknown to Felicia until the last possible moment. Hopefully the last possible moment would be well after Charlie and Sawyer were out of danger. With any luck, Adrian could keep up his distraction long enough.

Felicia leaned on the counter opposite Adrian, taking a sip of her own ice water, still a little giddy that he was there. "Well, thank you for coming to check up on us. I know things were very hectic back at your apartment, but I'm glad you could get away this quickly." She tilted her head slightly, smiling.

 _Jesus God,_ Adrian thought, keeping from rolling his eyes but only barely. _She just batted her eyes at me._ He hadn't really ever been in the dating game, thanks to his qualms about physical contact, but Adrian recognized bad flirting nonetheless. He knew he wasn't any better at it, but boy did he hate this; he'd definitely have to gripe at Colfax for suggesting this once it all blew over. "Well, you were very bold," he said. "I hope you don't form a habit out of barging into my home, but your initiative was certainly impressive." He wished he could crawl into a hole, this was so agonizing. He made due by taking a long drink of his water. At least he knew that Sawyer was hard at work getting Charlie to safety right out from under Felicia's nose. But she wouldn't linger in the kitchen for too long; their time was limited and he only hoped she wouldn't catch him in the lie.

With a final grunt of effort Sawyer managed to disengage the latch, and with both of them working on it the door to the cage swung open. Charlie hobbled out onto the table and fell into Sawyer, embracing him tightly in a hug. Sawyer hugged him back, feeling how his friend was shaking from head to toe and patting Charlie’s head where it was buried into his chest. “Thank god you came,” Charlie whispered, still trembling. He disengaged from Sawyer and looked up at his friend, eyes red and blotchy from tears.

Sawyer gave him a tight, concerned smile and quietly said, “Of course. Like any of us would leave you here.” The idea was unthinkable, especially given the circumstances they had found him in. Sawyer didn’t ever want to see a friend in a cage again, furnished or otherwise. Glancing towards the kitchen he added, “We have to go as fast as we can, though. Adrian’s distracting her now, but who knows how long that’ll keep her occupied.” He turned and gave Charlie a serious look. “We need to make it to the front door. Can you do that?”

Though Charlie was still trembling, and looked like he could hardly stand up as it was, he put on a determined face and replied, “I can try.” Sawyer nodded, sharing in his determination. With Charlie leaning on him for support they made their way over to the edge of the table, where Sawyer’s fishhook was still trailing the rope off to the floor. After helping Charlie to sit down on the edge Sawyer climbed onto the rope, shimmying down it quickly. Once he had reached the floor Charlie did the same thing, the muscles in his arms pulling taunt as he climbed down without the use of his casted leg. Sawyer caught him at the bottom, helping him stand balanced on the floor before flicking the rope and catching the hook as it fell towards them. Coiling it up he slung it over his shoulder once more, before helping Charlie to lean on him. Going as quickly as they could with Charlie’s cast, they began to make their way back towards the front door, staying against the wall and under cover of furniture whenever they could. 

After a few more minutes of polite banter, Felicia set down her glass. "Adrian, don't you want to see the viri? I think he'd be really happy to see you. He was very upset about leaving, I think he was worried that you might not visit!" She reached out to take his hand, and though he set his glass down, he didn't take it. He just tilted his head and kept his perfect blue gaze on her face.

Adrian hurriedly threw an excuse together, knowing that both viri would definitely need more time to get to the door. "D-don't you want to talk more? I'm sure he could use a rest from all the um, excitement from today." He smiled hopefully, resisting the urge to glance at her offered hand in dismay. He didn't want to hold her hand again, and indeed he was already wishing to scrub his own hands until the feeling went away.

Felicia smiled. "That's so sweet of you, Adrian. You really are princely," she said, blushing a little again. (Colfax, outside, actually caught the words and threw a hand over his mouth to keep the laughter from bursting forth.) She reached out with both hands to grasp his arm, feeling his entire body go completely tense at the contact. _Awww... he's nervous! That's so cute! This is perfect!_ "But I'm sure he'd be happy to see you! Let's go!" 

She led him into the living room, her eyes going immediately to the cage. Her expression went to one of panic and shock, and she practically threw herself across the room to the cage to investigate the floor near it.

Adrian, knowing the facade would soon be over, kept his eyes on the floor. He caught a glimpse of two small figures ducking under the couch as he and Felicia entered the room, glad to see that the woman only had eyes for her empty cage. Adrian, relieved that she'd let him go, nonetheless felt primed and ready for her to catch on to what was happening. So, without further pretense, he crouched to the floor, offering his cupped hands for the viri to climb on.

As they heard Felicia and Adrian coming their way the two viri all but sprinted for cover, Charlie gritting his teeth at the pain that shot up his leg thanks to the harsh movement. They scurried under the cover of the couch, hearts pounding with apprehension; they knew they would be found, it was only a matter of who by. Hands reached under the couch and they recoiled back instinctively, only to realize it was Adrian and breath a joint sigh of relief. As quickly as they could they scrambled on, Sawyer helping Charlie even as Adrian drew his hands out and up.

When Adrian stood, Felicia was standing at the other side of the room, staring at him with a hollow, crazed look in her eyes. He saw what looked like betrayal cross her features, just before pure anger took over. She pointed an accusing finger at him and shrieked something unintelligible, startling non-confrontational Adrian into stepping backwards and holding his viri passengers even closer to his chest.

Colfax leapt to his feet when he heard Felicia cry out in alarm. Without waiting, he stormed into the house, quickly finding the living room. Adrian appeared to have recoiled up against a wall, completely surprised by Felicia's sudden turn, and the woman was crossing the room toward him with her shoulders tense and aggressive. So Colfax, being the largest person there by far, stepped between the two of them to halt her advance. He heard Adrian shuffle out from behind him and out the door. Then, in a voice laced with more anger than he'd shown in a long time, Colfax barked, "That's enough."

~~~

Looking over the viri could see Felicia, wild-eyed and shrieking. As Adrian stepped back and held them closer Charlie turned into him and clutched his shirt, beginning to tremble again. Sawyer placed himself between Charlie and the front of Adrian’s hands, effectively shielding him from Felicia’s sight, though it wasn’t going to do much good otherwise. Luckily Colfax stepped between them, leaving Adrian free to slip out of the house. Sawyer heard Colfax stop Felicia, in a voice he would not like to be on the end of, before they were outside and headed towards the car.

Feeling Charlie still shaking behind him, Sawyer turned around to comfort his friend. Charlie was curled up against Adrian, clutching the human’s shirt in white-knuckled hands as tears leaked out of eyes shut tight. “Hey, buddy,” Sawyer said softly, getting closer to him and patting his shoulder. “Hey. It’s all okay now, we got you. You’re safe.” Charlie opened his eyes and looked up at him, tears still streaming down his cheeks. Sawyer gave him a caring smile, understanding that Charlie just needed to let it all out. It had been a pretty traumatic experience, after all, and he wasn’t in the best condition to begin with. “We’ll all be okay,” he assured his friend, hugging him with one arm. Charlie sniffled and smiled weakly back at him, feeling immensely grateful to have friends that would go to such lengths for him. Adrian was even holding them, which Charlie was sure wasn’t easy for him; the hands beneath them weren’t even trembling, though, and it was with a great deal of surprise that Charlie realized Adrian’s concern for them beat out even his long-term phobia of making physical contact with people.

Adrian was still a little shocked from the sight of a crazy woman coming at him. His heart pounded and his skin crawled, both from adrenaline and the fact that she had touched him with  _ both of her hands _ . He suppressed a shudder, his focus now on making sure his hands remained steady. Having never directly held a viri before, he was newly experiencing just how lightweight they were. Even with both of them and Charlie's thick cast, Adrian barely felt them there. He could feel Charlie clinging to him in fear, so he moved slowly as he exited Felicia's house and walked toward the car. He hesitated a moment, wondering how to get inside without use of his hands, but then balanced on one leg and deftly used his shoe to get the door pried open. From there it was simple to slip into the driver's seat. He slumped over, leaning his forehead on the steering wheel, his arms beginning to quiver from the leftover adrenaline. "I'm...I'm so sorry, Charlie," he muttered, his voice tight. "That should never have happened. I'm going to do better, okay? You're safe now."

Charlie and Sawyer jostled a bit as Adrian sat down in the driver’s seat, but they were just as relieved as he was to be in the car and away from all that madness. They could feel Adrian’s voice as he spoke, the vibrations of the sound mixing with the slight tremble in his arms. “It’s not your fault, Adrian,” Charlie said, finally letting go of the human’s shirt. Sitting up he looked up at his friend. With the most gratitude he could convey he said, “Thank you for coming to get me.” His voice began to quaver at the end and he couldn’t help a few more tears from slipping out, which he hastily wiped away. Looking over at Sawyer he smiled slightly and added, “All of you.” Even Colfax, whom he would have thanked as well, were the human not presumably still dealing with Felicia inside.

Sawyer patted him on the shoulder with a grin, making Charlie smile. “We won’t let it happen again bud,” he said, still smiling but perfectly serious now. “Cross my heart.” He did so and Charlie nodded, thankful for their efforts to make him feel better. Though he didn’t blame any of them for what had happened (obviously Felicia was just incredibly neurotic), it was still nice to hear their reassurances. Charlie patted the hand beneath them and smiled up at Adrian, which frankly amazed Sawyer. Here Adrian was, actually touching somebody, and Charlie, actually comfortable in a human’s hands; if that wasn’t a remarkable sign of trust Sawyer didn’t know what was. They’d come so far in such a short time. It was strange to think that, less than a week ago, the humans and viri involved never would have even considered meeting each other. Now… now Sawyer didn’t think they could consider living without each other.

Adrian allowed himself a faint smile, glad to see that Charlie was already recovering somewhat from the ordeal. Though if he were honest with himself, Adrian wouldn't blame the viri if he had nightmares for a few nights over it. It was likely that Adrian would. He allowed some of the excitement of the whole situation to wear off before straightening up in his seat. "I think we should probably get back... it might take Colfax a little while to calm Felicia down and we shouldn't wait around here." He gently set the two viri down in the passenger seat, wishing he had a safer place for them to travel. But, he reasoned, if he drove carefully, then they shouldn't shift around much. "I'd say 'buckle up', but I don't know if it would make that much of a difference," he quipped with a chuckle. Then, he started the car and gently took off, his hands gripping the steering wheel tighter than he might on a normal drive. He took residential and side streets where he could, avoiding other traffic. He didn't think anyone would notice his tiny passengers, but he was a little paranoid that someone in a taller vehicle would spot them.

Once he had parked back at his home, he waited a few minutes for a man walking his dog to turn the corner. Then, he held out a hand for Sawyer and Charlie, keeping one hand free so he could open doors. He held them steadily once more, glancing around and making sure no other humans would see. By the time he got back into his own apartment, Adrian had been holding his breath, and he released it in a heavy sigh. He locked the door behind him before taking the viri back to the shelf where their “house” still sat. "Here we are. Home sweet home. If you'll excuse me, I have  _ got _ to wash my hands." He paused, then his eyes widened as he realized that his words could have sounded offensive. "N-not that that's a comment on y-you guys or anything, b-but... F-Felicia, she... hands..." His shoulders slumped and he sat back, his face reddening some. "Sorry...." he finished lamely.

Sawyer chuckled, waving it away. “No worries Adrian, we get what you meant,” he said. “She made our skin crawl too.” At that Charlie nodded fervently in agreement; he could still remember how it felt to be trapped in her hands, though he was trying his best to forget. “Go wash up,” said Sawyer. “We’ll be here.” He gave Adrian an encouraging smile as he left to go scrub his hands, before turning back to Charlie. His friend was sitting on the shelf in front of the house looking pretty wrecked from his recent ordeal. “Here now, let’s get you inside, bud,” he said, helping him to his feet. “You need to rest after all of that I’m sure.” He was just going to let Charlie lean on him to walk into their house, but the shorter viri insisted on getting his crutch and walking by himself. He was tired of feeling helpless, which Sawyer could understand; but that didn’t stop the taller viri from walking closely behind him the whole time, ready to catch him should he fall.

They made their way back to the room on the left, which was Charlie’s, and he sat down on his bed with a small sigh. Despite having mostly cried himself out his eyes were still red and watery, and he looked like he could break down again at any moment. It was obvious he was barely holding himself together. He felt exhausted, more spent than ever, but he didn’t want to go to sleep. A large part of him still desperately needed the visual evidence that they were home, he was fine, and nothing bad was going to happen.

“Sit with me,” he asked Sawyer, his voice still hoarse and thick with emotion. Sawyer nodded and quietly sat at the edge of the bed, which was really just the dishtowel Charlie had been using a few days ago folded into a small tupperware Adrian had provided. Charlie curled up on the other end and they sat there in silence for a few minutes until, despite his feelings and the bad thoughts still whirling in his head, Charlie fell asleep.

When Sawyer noticed, he stood up and quietly placed the edge of the blanket over his friend, glad that he was able to rest despite it all. It would do him good, Sawyer was sure. All but tiptoeing out of the room, Sawyer made his way out of the house once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They got Charlie back! Not without quite a bit of work, however; on everybody's part. They all need quite the rest after this!
> 
> On a completely separate note, Felicia and Adrian's awkward conversation makes me giggle every time.


	37. Chapter 37

Adrian lightly berated himself for stuttering like a fool over nothing. But, once he got to the kitchen sink, his focus sharpened and zeroed in on the task at hand. He scrubbed his hands and arms, anywhere that Felicia even brushed him, with dish soap. There were lots of suds and bubbles from the soap, but even after the first rinse he still felt it. Anybody who knew him knew that they couldn't make physical contact on purpose without him at least tensing up a little. But Felicia had practically been hanging on his arm. He washed his hands several times before he felt his usual sense of untouched equilibrium coming back. He dried off, sighing contentedly. He debated for several more minutes whether he should go and check on Charlie and Sawyer. Though they had assured him that they didn't blame him, he still felt some lingering guilt. He could have locked the door, or run faster, or  _ something. _ Still, deciding that he'd just have to let those gloomy feelings pass, he walked quietly back into the living room, seeing Sawyer waiting outside the little house. "He's resting?" he asked softly, his eyes drifting once over the house.

Sawyer nodded, sitting on the edge of the porch with a small sigh. “I’m glad. The poor guy’s practically been through hell and back.” Events of the last few days included, though he didn’t say that to Adrian. He knew the human would only feel guilty about things, which he shouldn’t. Sawyer scowled at remembrances of rescuing Charlie from Felicia. “I can’t imagine being put in a damn cage like that.” Even the thought of it sent a shiver down his spine. It was every viri’s worst nightmare, being trapped and helpless like that. “I’m only glad we got to him when we did.” Or he could be worse off than he already was, which was pretty bad already. Forget his leg, Charlie was probably hurt psychologically. Sawyer didn’t even know how he would be after a bit of rest. Hopefully better, but this wasn’t the kind of thing you just got over. It was practically a miracle he still trusted humans, given this and his previous feelings; though Sawyer knew that was all due to Adrian. 

Adrian could almost imagine what it would look like from the inside of a cage like the one Felicia had made. He understood why the very idea made Sawyer recoil from the thought. It was atrocious, and only someone as cracked as Felicia would have thought it made a good home. He walked around the couch to sit lightly on it, clasping his hands. "I'm really glad that we found him so soon. And I'm glad that you and Colfax were there," he laughed nervously, remembering how dead stupid his conversation with Felicia had been. "I don't know how I'd have done it on my own without getting pepper sprayed myself." He had to admire Colfax for powering through that particular ordeal. Adrian had never been maced before, but he knew that it burned like crazy, and his friend had taken a full dose to the eyes and still been able to keep his composure. A sudden thought made Adrian tilt his head. "Hey, I hope you're okay, too, Sawyer. I know this wasn't an easy situation for you, either."

“Huh?” Sawyer said, a bit taken aback by the statement. He looked up at Adrian with a small amount of surprise, not having expected him to ask. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied, leaning over slightly and resting his arms on his knees, hands clasped. “I mean, it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park, and I’m still pretty angry at myself for causing all this trouble with Felicia in the first place, but I’m alright.” He gave Adrian a tight smile. “Thanks for askin’ though. I appreciate it.” He hadn’t gone through all that Charlie had, after all, and he’d had a few scrapes in his past. 

Still, having his best friend get taken by a crazy human did rank at the top of his list, as far as times in his life where he was scared out of his mind. It wasn’t something he wanted to repeat by any means, and he hoped Colfax was doing something to get through to Felicia. She seemed absolutely bonkers, but then again if anybody could overawe her enough it would be Colfax. All Sawyer knew was that as long as she was still at large and viri-crazed, he for one wouldn’t be sleeping soundly.

Colfax knocked wearily on the door, rightly guessing that Adrian would have locked it after all that had happened. He didn't have to wait too long, thankfully. His eyes were stinging again, and the effort to keep them open for more than a few seconds at a time was getting tiresome. Adrian took one look at him and instructed him to sit down. With a mumbled thanks, he did, leaning his head back and closing his burning eyes. He heard Adrian shuffle around in the other room, and when he peeked out one eye he saw his friend offering a cold rag. Colfax took it gratefully and set it on his eyes. "Felicia is dealt with," he announced helpfully, his voice weary but confident. He didn't speak very loudly, as he wasn't sure where Sawyer and Charlie now were, but he didn't want to leave everyone waiting for his news; but his eyes  _ hurt _ .

Adrian waited tensely, glancing over at Sawyer once or twice, hoping for Colfax to continue. Finally, his curiosity piqued, he couldn't wait longer. "Well? What happened?" He remembered on time to keep his voice down, knowing that Charlie still needed his rest.

Colfax sighed and figured he'd have to speak even though it stung a little to do so. "After you headed out, she almost took off after you guys. I had to hold her back until she calmed down." His ears rang to remember the wailing and the crying. "Then she and I had a chat. She's going to have to face an ethics hearing with our professor for breaking in here and attacking me after getting rejected." He chuckled, the sound a bit raspier than usual. "Also, I may have let her infer certain things about the viri and now she's convinced she'll be cursed if she so much as sees another one." Hearing the woman babble that had almost made him lose his straight face at the time. "I think she thinks I'm some kind of wizard."

A fresh wave of relief washed over Sawyer at the news that Felicia was taken care of, though Colfax did look pretty bad off as far as his eyes were concerned. He couldn’t help but snicker at the news that Colfax was a wizard now though. The idea of stoic Colfax in a wizard outfit waving around a wand was too ridiculous not to laugh at. “Well, that’s good news at least,” he said, hopefully loud enough for Colfax to hear, as he was still being quiet for Charlie’s sake. “If there’s one thing that can convince her more than anything it’s that magic stuff she believes in. That, at least, I can trust to keep her away from everybody.” Everybody truly meaning everyone in this case; after all, she was a danger to all viri, even more so to the ones who didn’t know about her. Luckily, however, that seemed to be over. Hopefully nobody would be hurt at her hands again- especially not now that she thought she would be “cursed”.

The dark-haired human smirked faintly at Sawyer's words. He took the cold rag away from his eyes to look up and peer over at him. Not seeing Charlie there, he could only assume that the poor guy was asleep. He held up his hands in a mock spellcasting gesture, waggling his fingers for emphasis. " _ Wizard, _ " he rasped, his still-painful voice making it sound more like a hiss than he intended. It was just the kind of dry sarcasm that Colfax usually employed, and a relieved chuckle resounded from Adrian. Colfax leaned back once more and put the cool, relieving cloth over his face once more, finally feeling some of the stinging die down. "Pepper spray sucks," he commented matter-of-factly. 

"Well, no shit," Adrian snickered lightly. But he was immensely relieved to hear the news about Felicia. Hopefully she'd give them all plenty of space from then on. He was also glad to see that Colfax had apparently dealt with his anger before coming in. He could tell that it had a lot to do with bringing the crazy woman to justice. Colfax was patient, and would be able to wait until the little 'ethics hearing', but Adrian knew he would be quite pleased with the outcome. It was good that everyone seemed to be recovering quickly, because Adrian had a hunch that they would all be needed to help Charlie feel better.

Sawyer snickered appreciatively, glad to see that Colfax was still himself despite the unfortunate effects of pepper spray. Despite having lived with the human for a long time now, Sawyer was finding that he really didn’t know as much about him as he had thought. This dry humor, for example; he never would have pegged Colfax for the humorous type, but around friends he certainly was. It was just Sawyer had never seen him around friends before. Not really until  _ they _ had become friends, which was a learning experience in and of itself. It was… strange. Probably not as strange as Colfax had felt finding out somebody else shared the apartment with him after all, but strange nonetheless. What he had thought was knowledge turned out to just be assumptions, some of them right and some of them wrong.

Briefly, Sawyer wondered how well viri in all sorts of places really knew the humans they lived with, and what they could learn from actually talking to them for once. Not that he wanted viri and humans to suddenly all be interacting- after all, there were still a good deal of dangerous humans out there, Felicia had proved that. But there were good ones too, people like Adrian and Colfax, and they might be able to learn quite a lot from humans like that. About humans, about viri… about people.

Adrian decided not to ask Colfax more questions. Judging from the sound of his voice, his throat was still sore from the pepper spray. And, after taking the time to scold Felicia properly and make sure she wasn't a threat, he deserved a little rest. He glanced over to the other side of the couch that Colfax occupied; his work still lay there, all but forgotten. With a sudden thought and a grin, Adrian leaned over to pick up his laptop, carrying it over near the shelf. He opened it and typed in the password. "Hey, Sawyer, while they're resting, wanna see how to design a house?" He offered, touching the trackpad to hover the cursor over the icon for his 3D modeling program. He had no idea if this would actually seem interesting to Sawyer, but he  _ was _ sure that he probably never had the chance to use a computer before.

“Sure,” Sawyer said enthusiastically, hopping off of the shelf and walking over to the laptop. Adrian had pulled up a program, which looked like whatever he used for his architecture stuff. Sitting on the edge of the computer, Sawyer watched with interest as Adrian built up a 3D model, explaining the process quietly as he went. It was neat to watch; Sawyer hadn’t been around computers that often, and he hadn’t thought that programs had become this cool. He was no stranger to technology – whenever he could get hold of a smart phone for a night he would send an email off to his parents, and he knew how most electronics worked – but computers were something else. They were pretty unusable for viri so he hadn’t ever played around with one, much less on a program as developed as this. It was absolutely amazing what humans had come up with.

He almost wanted to ask if he could play around with it, but he wasn’t sure his hands would even register on the trackpad, much less have the range of motion to actually build something. So he was content to just sit and watch Adrian do it, asking the occasional question about how he did something or another.

Adrian had quite a lot of fun showing his CAD program to Sawyer. He'd never really had a chance to show off how he did his work. Until recently, he'd been too busy actually  _ doing _ the work. It was a welcome distraction after everything that had happened. Every once in a while, Sawyer would throw out a suggestion for something to add to the virtual house he was building, and Adrian would add it in. By the time they were done, quite a bit of time had passed and the result was a very elaborate house. Adrian chuckled appreciatively. "Next time I need some design advice, I know who I'm going to talk to."

Colfax had dozed off after a few minutes, but now he was slowly drifting back to the land of the living. Adrian's comment didn't fully register at first, but he figured he should probably wake up fully. He removed the rag from his face, sitting up and blinking slowly. His eyes were still a bit bloodshot, but they felt remarkably better than before. "Upgrading to a bigger house, are you, Sawyer?" he commented, leaning over slightly to peer over Adrian's shoulder at the 3D model. The human was mildly curious about how long he'd been out, but deemed it unimportant. In truth, he was anxious to get a status update from Charlie about his injury and his anxiety level after the ordeal.

Looking up at Colfax as he came over Sawyer noticed that his eyes, though still red and irritated-looking, seemed to be doing much better. Sawyer gave him a grin and said, “In my dreams, maybe.” He and Adrian’s joint creation was extensive enough to be on the ridiculous side, even if it were scaled to viri size. There was certainly no way it would ever fit inside a wall like a normal home. Still, it had been fun to make, and quite interesting to see what Adrian did for a living. Sawyer could see how he liked it, and now more than ever wanted to be able to show him the structures he and Charlie had built on their own. He knew Adrian would just love to see viri architecture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of falling action after such an exhausting adventure! They sure could use a bit of quiet time.


	38. Chapter 38

Back in the model house they currently had, Charlie was gradually coming back to full consciousness. It was hard, like getting to the surface of a deep pool of water, but after a few minutes he was able to crack open his eyes. He felt empty, spent; the adrenaline had gone away, along with the terror and panic that had been keeping him so wired. Though he didn’t feel like crying anymore, his eyes still felt heavy, and his mental state was still pretty wrecked. He wasn’t sure  _ how _ he felt really, just… tired, and full of unnamable emotion.

The sleep had definitely done a great deal of good however, as he wasn’t on the edge of a complete breakdown anymore. Really all he wanted to do was get some more sleep, but his leg was throbbing and he wanted – no, needed – to know if Felicia was taken care of. He couldn’t bear not knowing, feeling like she could be showing up at any moment, though he doubted Colfax would have let that remain a possibility. So with a deep breath he sat up and got out of bed, grabbing his crutch where it was resting against the wall and making his way out of the house.

Adrian chuckled at Sawyer's comment, quickly saving the project and closing the computer. He almost chimed in with their banter, but stopped when he saw motion in the corner of his eye. Sure enough, when he looked at the door of the house, there was Charlie. "Ah. I hope you're feeling a little refreshed, Charlie," he said softly, adopting an encouraging expression. He could see that the viri still looked a little tense, so he was gladder than ever that they were safe from Felicia's insanity now. "We've got some good news!" He turned his head to look at Colfax expectantly.

Colfax glanced once at Adrian's gaze before turning his focus back to the injured viri. Seeing his less-than-ideal state pissed him off all over again; if nothing else, Felicia had risked greater injury to his already-hurt patient. He thought back to earlier, when she'd screamed and cried to him about stealing back “her” viri. He'd almost slapped her right then and there. His face didn't betray his remembered frustration, but his voice was a little quieter than usual. "Felicia will not be bothering you again, Charlie. In fact, Felicia is now under the impression that she will be cursed horribly if she so much as sees a viri." He rolled his eyes a little at that last bit, though he knew that curing such deep-seated neurosis was beyond his skills, no matter how intimidating.

Charlie listened to Colfax carefully, glancing over at Sawyer when he finished. Sawyer nodded gravely and some of the lingering tension in Charlie’s shoulders disappeared. “Thank you,” he said, the hoarseness of a deep sleep still clinging to his voice. He looked up at Colfax again with a serious expression. “That makes me feel a lot better.” It did, though he knew it would still take a while for him to feel anywhere near as comfortable as he had been before all this happened. He would still probably be paranoid for a long while, but knowing logically and certainly that he had nothing more to fear could only help that. With a small sigh he sat down on the edge of the porch, setting his crutch to the side and dangling his legs over the space. His broken leg was still throbbing painfully under the cast, no doubt from the recent trauma and the running they had done while trying to escape.

As he did so Sawyer walked over and climbed up next to him, sitting by his side. There was a bit of quiet at first, as Charlie didn’t seem to be in the mood for talking and Sawyer didn’t want to push it. After all they had been through it was understandable, especially considering Charlie was such a quiet person to begin with. However, Sawyer was still greatly concerned for his friend, and wished he could know what was going through that head of his. Noticing the way Charlie was being careful with his casted leg he frowned slightly and asked, “Your leg hurting?” Charlie nodded quietly, staring rather intently at the floor, and Sawyer’s frown deepened. “You want some ice for it?” Another small nod. Sawyer looked up at the two humans expectantly, assuming that one of them at least would go and get it for them.

Both humans' eyes were drawn to the cast when Sawyer asked if Charlie's leg was hurting. Colfax sat on the ground next to Adrian, his eyes trained on the injured limb. Adrian, however, didn't even wait for an answer when the question of ice came up. He stood and went to the kitchen, preparing a small zip baggy with an ice cube, wrapping it in a spare washcloth. He returned swiftly, setting the over-large ice pack next to the viri on the shelf. "Hope that helps," he said softly, his voice laced with concern.

Colfax, already quite anxious about Charlie's health, couldn't hold back. His medical side taking over, he asked, "Charlie, I know it may be difficult to tell, but does it feel like your injury has shifted inside the cast? It's designed to prevent that, but if so it will need to be fixed right away so the bone heals correctly." He found himself fervently hoping that the answer was no; Charlie didn't need more stress. But, as a medical professional, he had to ask these questions. Colfax wasn't allowed to fret in such a situation.

“Thank you,” Charlie murmured to Adrian, shifting so that he could rest his leg on top of the ice pack. Sawyer shifted away a bit as well to leave him room to do so, though he remained seated close to Charlie. As Charlie got settled he listened to Colfax’s question, pondering the response. Shaking his head softly he said, “No, I don’t think so… it doesn’t feel out of place, just sore.” He hoped it hadn’t shifted and he just couldn’t tell, but he was pretty sure about his answer. After all, it didn’t hurt  _ that _ bad. He appreciated Colfax’s concern nonetheless, knowing that besides being medical in nature the question came from care for his personal wellbeing. Everybody in the room had done enough to prove that at the very least; no doubt remained in Charlie’s mind that even Colfax cared greatly about him, and that was almost overwhelming. Outside of his family and Sawyer, Charlie hadn’t had anybody near that level of friendship in his life. He just wished they could have found it out under a less strenuous string of circumstances.

Colfax was relieved. He knew that having to break the cast off, re-set Charlie's bone, and put a new cast on would likely be quite painful. Stoic though he was, he was hopeful for Charlie's speedy recovery.

He hesitated, but then shifted where he sat to retrieve something from his back pocket. It was a plastic box, about the right size for a deck of cards. When he opened it, the miniature books he had stacked inside remained, if a little jostled. He took the largest of the books in his other hand, closing his fingers around it to hide it from sight. He glanced at Adrian and Sawyer before settling his gaze on Charlie. "In that case, I believe you are still on track for recovery in a few weeks." He lowered his hand and opened his grasp in front of Charlie, revealing the viri history book lying on his palm. "Something to do while you wait," he explained simply. His face showed nothing, as usual, but he was secretly really hoping that Charlie would appreciate the gift. Colfax did not often go out of his way to give presents, after all.

Adrian's eyebrows shot up when he saw the little book. Colfax had salvaged a tiny library from Felicia! He peeked into the plastic case at the other books in there. They seemed like a pretty standard assortment of the classics, their titles stamped on the tiny covers in bold lettering. He couldn't help but grin at Colfax's forward-thinking. Even with everything going on, he had been thinking of a way to help put Charlie at ease. "Jeez, there's even a copy of  _ The Three Musketeers _ in here," he commented. He chuckled. "Sawyer, you'd probably like that one."

With wide eyes Charlie took the book from Colfax’s hand, looking from it to Colfax and back in surprise. “You… but she…” he stammered, a bit confused as to how it ended up in his possession. Eventually he settled for a sincere, “Thank you.” It meant a lot to him, being a viri text and all, and it meant even more that Colfax had managed to wrangle it away from Felicia. Not to mention the novelty of getting a present from Colfax, of all people. Looking down at the book he stroked the old, worn spine, a soft smile lighting up his face. As Adrian looked through the rest of them, which were the human novels turned viri-size that Felicia had shown him earlier, Charlie opened the book to the first page and started reading. From the start he was so involved that he hardly heard what Adrian was saying.

Sawyer, knowing full well that Charlie was all but lost to them now that he had something interesting to read, hopped down from the porch and walked over to where Adrian was looking through the books. “ _ The Three Musketeers _ , huh?” he mused, picking up the book that Adrian had mentioned. It was simply made, with a green paper cover and just the title printed in front. The words inside were written pretty large in comparison, but that wouldn’t be an issue really. Flipping through some of the pages he asked, “What is it about?” Though viri had a good grasp of literature themselves, human “classics” (or any other novels for that matter) tended to be a realm somewhat outside of their experience. After all, reading a human-sized book was rather challenging, and you certainly weren’t going to get one into the walls. He was quite interested in what they would be about.

Adrian lightly closed the plastic case once Sawyer had retrieved a book of his own. That was quite a good find on Colfax's part; it looked like the mini books were complete copies. He wondered himself how Colfax had managed to take off with so many of them, but thought that asking would ruin the fun for him. So, instead, he focused on the question Sawyer had directed at him. "Well, I haven't read it since high school, but it's about this swordsman who wants to join the royal guard in France. He makes friends with three other swordsmen, the musketeers." He had to pause to remember what else happened in the book. "I think they have to fight some guy who wants to take the throne?" He chuckled nervously and shrugged. Adrian didn't read a lot of fiction usually, opting for the technical books and math puzzle types of reading. But, for some reason, he pegged Sawyer as an adventure fan.

Colfax eyed Charlie's reaction for a few seconds, rather happy that his gift had the desired effect. Hopefully, Charlie would have so much to read that he'd have an easier time forgetting what needed to be forgotten. He had originally wanted to keep the little history and read it himself first. The things he could learn from that book were probably many. But, it pained him to admit, taking information like that would be unethical; he'd be no better than Felicia. He picked up the plastic case of books and moved it, setting it next to the front door of the model house. He could only assume that Charlie would burn right through the whole stock in no time, what with how quickly he'd dived into the history he currently held. Colfax turned his gaze to the book Sawyer now investigated, smirking faintly. "It's going to make you want to learn to fence," he quipped.

“Sounds awesome,” Sawyer said with a grin. Though he wasn’t much of a reader on a normal basis (mostly because there wasn’t all that much to read), he was actually quite looking forward to reading the novel. Most viri stuff he had read wasn’t fictional stuff – the novel Charlie had was the only one he’d ever encountered – and they certainly weren’t as interesting and action-packed as this one sounded. For an adrenaline junkie like Sawyer an adventure novel sounded amazing. “Not sure how I could learn to fence if I end up wanting to, but I’m sure I could figure out something,” he commented, already musing over it. A sewing needle might be the equivalent of a human sword as far as weight and balance, as long as he figured out a suitable grip… He walked back to the porch and put his book on top of the plastic case Colfax had put there. Leaning on the shelf next to Charlie he asked, “Is it interesting?”

“Hm?” Charlie hummed, looking at him with a somewhat unfocused gaze as he was pulled out of his reading. “Oh, yes, very!” A smile came over his face as he described it to Sawyer, eager to share even recently acquired knowledge. “It evidently belonged to a family on the east coast around the early eighteen hundreds, or at least it does at the beginning of the records. They had just come over on a ship from Ireland, the two parents and their five children, and this record starts as they arrive in America. It’s a fascinating account so far.” Sawyer nodded, expressing suitable interest in return. That was enough for Charlie to go back to reading, though that was no surprise to Sawyer. Once Charlie got into a book, especially a new one (which was few and far between), it was hard to drag him out of it.

Adrian couldn't help but smile as Charlie avidly described the book. He could tell from his face that the guy really enjoyed reading, so he was doubly glad that Colfax had salvaged so many books. It was definitely a good idea on his friend's part. And, truth be told, Adrian was very intrigued about what it must have been like to be not only an immigrant to America, but a  _ viri _ immigrant to the States. He'd probably have to ask Charlie to tell some stories at some point. He watched Charlie get absorbed back into his reading, and grinned. "Let's leave him to it," he said quietly. "There's history to be learned."

Colfax, quite happy with himself, moved back where he sat on the floor to lean against the couch. He pulled his work from where he'd abandoned it before onto his lap. He had no trouble with Adrian's suggestion. After all, his best method of indicating he was someone's friend was to tolerate being around them. He was not a social butterfly, and even though he'd been awake all of thirty minutes since his snooze, he felt the need to recharge a little from all the talking he'd done today. 

Realizing he still had all his gear on, and not wanting to wear it for the next few hours as everybody relaxed, Sawyer hopped up onto the porch and walked back into the house. After putting everything away in his room again (which really meant just tossing it in the general direction of his bag) he made his way back out into the living room. He grabbed his book from where he had set it on top of the plastic case and jumped down to the floor, walking casually over towards where Colfax was sitting. Without a word, as if it were the most normal thing in the world, Sawyer climbed up onto Colfax’s lap and made himself comfortable against the human’s abdomen. Charlie was too involved in his book to notice, though considering it was just Colfax, Sawyer doubted he would care. Nestled into Colfax like that, between his hip and where the human had set his work, Sawyer opened up his book and started reading.

Colfax glanced away from the sentence he was reading when Sawyer approached. Then, he raised his eyebrows when the viri climbed onto his lap and settled in. He quickly gained control of his expressions, making sure not to show any emotion. But he was more than a little flattered that Sawyer had come to trust him this well. He looked up to see Adrian giving him an almost teasing look. So he hadn't quite hidden his surprise in time. Still, he gave his friend a flat look that  _ dared _ him to say something about it before looking back at his work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Books for everyone! :D 
> 
> We have quite a bit more than this written out, so I'm going to try to begin updating more frequently to catch up. ^^ Not to mention there are more fun times ahead!


	39. Chapter 39

Days passed like that, quiet and full of healing for all parties involved. Adrian worked mostly from the house, which meant that despite spending a lot of time on his computer he was always around if either of the viri needed anything. He tended to stick around the living room for just that reason, though he had a desk of his own in the bedroom. Colfax was around quite a lot as well, though less often because of his studies and the necessity of actually going into the lab once in a while. Still, he did most of his homework at the house, and it was a rare evening where he wasn’t present. Sawyer finished  _ The Three Musketeers _ , and true to form it made him want to be a fencer. He even convinced Adrian to look up some tutorials on YouTube for him, and Charlie was heard berating him more than once for swishing the sewing needle around places that he shouldn’t.

Charlie perhaps showed the greatest improvement out of all of them in the two weeks that followed, in part because he had the most healing to do. Not only was his leg becoming decidedly better, allowing him to walk more each day, but as time went on his mental state improved as well. He smiled more, talked a bit more (though being quiet was in his nature), and finally seemed to relax. Now that he knew the two humans so well, he became as comfortable around them as he was with Sawyer. All it took was a little bit of trust.

Adrian sat at his drafting table/desk in the living room one evening, looking over a set of blueprints. Colfax had been at the lab most of the day, grading the very same exams he'd designed two weeks earlier. Remembering how thoroughly he had graded exams in the past, Adrian could only assume he'd be at least another hour. He heard the telltale “ _ beep! _ ” from his laptop, noting that the battery was low. He turned with a smirk to see that it was still open to the fencing tutorial page he'd opened up for Sawyer earlier. "I'd better plug that in," he announced, leaning over to the near-forgotten computer bag next to his desk. Not needing to travel anywhere, he almost never used it anymore.

As he pulled the bundle of cords out of the bag, another object was dragged out and dropped to the floor. It was a small webcam, the kind that would wirelessly connect with his computer. With a grin, Adrian remembered the plan he and Sawyer had come up with right before the Felicia fiasco. "So that's where my camera ended up." He looked over to where Sawyer stood practicing his forms. "Still think you can give me a tour?" he asked, also glancing at Charlie where he sat, reading of course. He moved to plug the computer into the wall by his desk, knowing that they might decline. Though they had all become pretty good friends, Adrian knew that it would be completely unheard of to let a human see the places viri occupied.

As Sawyer finished a motion he looked up at Adrian with curiosity, sticking his “sword” into the plush carpet and leaning on it slightly. “Oh, you found it!” he exclaimed once he noticed the small webcam. It looked fantastic for the idea, wireless and only a little larger than his head. Definitely manageable. “I’m still up for it if you are. And, uh, if Charlie is.” He glanced over at his friend, who was leaning against the outside of the house with his nose in a book.

“Hmm?” Charlie said, glancing up from his reading. Though the viri tome Colfax had gotten from Felicia was incredibly thick, full of nearly a hundred years of family history, Charlie was almost done with it. “What might I be up for?”

“Adrian and I had an idea a while ago,” Sawyer explained, walking over and putting his sword up on the edge of the porch.

“A dangerous notion,” Charlie commented. Sawyer made a face at him for that and Charlie simply smiled. Placing a bookmark between age-yellowed pages he set the tome down next to him, giving Sawyer his full attention.

“ _ Any _ ways,” huffed Sawyer, “Adrian and I thought that maybe, if you were okay with it, I could take a webcam into the walls and show him the kind of stuff you built. You know, because of architecture interests and stuff.” He looked at Charlie, wondering what kind of response he was going to get. Sure, Charlie had become much more relaxed about the Code as of late, mostly out of necessity, but Sawyer was sure there was still a large part of him so ingrained with it that something like this might prove bothersome.

To only a bit of surprise on Sawyer’s part, Charlie just shrugged. “Sure, why not,” he said. “We’re completely buggered as far as the Code’s concerned anyways, so I don’t see how this could make much of a difference.” Looking up at Adrian he added, “Just don’t record anything, yeah? For your eyes only.” 

Adrian perked up at Charlie's answer, his eyes brightening. He picked up the little webcam with one hand and started browsing the control panel on his laptop. Hopefully the thing still worked... a flick of a little switch on the device later, his computer found it. From there, it took only a few seconds to get the two electronics to communicate. Adrian grinned to see the ceiling of the room projected onto his laptop screen; it worked like a charm! This would probably end up being the coolest thing he would ever see. "I won't record anything," he said, after making sure the camera wouldn't lose its connection. "I'll remember," he added with confidence. But, with an opportunity like this, what architect would forget?

“Awesome!” Sawyer said enthusiastically, making his way nearer to the desk and Adrian. Charlie had already opened his book back up again, though truth be told he was rather interested in the whole experiment. He had never thought his house in the walls to be anything special, but Adrian sure seemed to be excited. It was strange to consider how it would look to a human; for a viri it was quite possibly the most normal concept in their lives, as it was the only way of existence they really knew.

As Adrian handed the webcam to Sawyer the viri looked at it with unguarded curiosity, turning it over in his hands. It was kind of heavy, but he was sure it wouldn’t be a problem if he held it with both hands. He looked into the lens and made a face at his reflection, which made Charlie laugh lightly at the video feed it created.

Adrian had to join in Charlie's laughter at Sawyer's goofy expression. But, as he adjusted some of the camera's settings so that the picture wouldn't wash out on his screen, he was hit by a realization. This was likely as close as he'd ever come to seeing the viri from  _ their _ level. Sawyer's face filled the video window as if he were on a video call. And as he moved the camera around, the human got a glimpse of what the whole room looked like from viri height.  _ No wonder Charlie was terrified of me- I look huge, _ he commented to himself. He looked at Sawyer brightly, looking almost like a kid who'd just been told Christmas was in a week. "Alright, everything's set up... ready when you are!"

“Sweet,” Sawyer said with a grin. Holding the webcam in his arms with the camera facing out in front of him he set off across the living room floor, headed for the entrance near the shelves and their house. Once he got to it he stuck the webcam under one arm for a moment, opening the door with the other before sliding through. On the other side he turned around and closed it, all of which Adrian could hopefully see on the video feed.

“Can I come up there Adrian?” Charlie piped up from the floor. He had set his book aside and was leaning on his crutch at the edge of the porch. “I can’t quite see the video from down here.” He was interested in watching it, and even more interested in seeing how Adrian reacted to it all. After all, he was sure the human had been wondering about viri architecture since they first met.

Adrian was mildly surprised to hear Charlie's request. After all, it was a tour of his own home. The human had assumed that even the computer wouldn't be more interesting than Charlie's history book. So he hesitated before answering. Obviously, the only way to get Charlie up to the desk would be to give him a hand. Finally, a faintly embarrassed smile on his face, Adrian replied. "Sure." He knelt by the shelf, offering both hands. Even though Charlie had been moving around much better lately, he didn't want to tempt fate by giving him too small of a platform. It took mere seconds to get the viri to the desk, and by then, the camera showed that Sawyer was already navigating inside the walls. "Ah, here he goes!" Adrian said excitedly, his blue eyes fixed on the screen.

Thanking Adrian as the human helped him up, Charlie gave him a smile, proud of how well he had been doing lately with his tactile issues. He knew it was still mostly out of necessity for Charlie, as he couldn’t exactly climb on his own, but all the same it was a huge personal achievement. Charlie looked at the feed with interest as Adrian enthusiastically announced it, smiling at the human’s childlike delight in the venture. He was just so excited, it was fantastic. They watched as Sawyer walked down the hallway back towards the rooms, and Charlie glanced up at Adrian as a thought struck him. “I didn’t leave my rooms in the best of shape, so they’re probably going to be pretty messy,” he apologized, an embarrassed flush blooming across his face. After all, he hadn’t expected to be gone for weeks when he went out to get some water that day, and he doubted Sawyer cleaned when he was in there locking up.

It had only taken Adrian a few seconds to get completely enraptured by what he was seeing. The inside of the walls looked like an impossibly vast great hall in some huge mansion. He almost didn't hear Charlie's worried apology. But he glanced down to the viri in time to see his embarrassed expression. With a faint smile, Adrian shrugged it off. "I don't mind at all," he replied, his eyes quickly going back to the screen. When Sawyer made it to Charlie's rooms, Adrian mouthed the word “wow” to see how it was built. Using support beams and structures that were completely mundane to him, Charlie had put together an impressive little living space. And he couldn't help but notice the various household objects he had constructed out of small found items. Of course Adrian was aware that the viri had to repurpose many human objects, but he hadn't seen many examples of this beyond Sawyer's climbing gear.

“So, I don’t know if you guys can hear me or not, but this is Charlie’s house,” Sawyer said from inside the walls, chattering away to the camera he held in his arms. He had used the stairs at the back so that he didn’t have to use the pulley with the camera, though the path to get there had been a bit more circuitous. “These are the back doors,” he explained, lifting up the piece of aluminum sheeting that prevented unwanted things from getting inside while Charlie was away. They revealed a wall made of spare bits and pieces of drywall (some very large, some small even by viri standards) held together by unbent staples, among other things, and a door frame cut into this wall.

Sawyer walked through it and panned the camera around the room within, all the walls of which were constructed in a similar manner; except for the back wall, which was making use of a nearby wooden beam. “This is the storage room…” It was filled with containers for things, though most of them were empty, as Charlie had burned through nearly all of his food supplies the week before Adrian moved in. They consisted of everything from small tupperware to the kind of tiny bottles usually found on charm bracelets or necklaces.

Adrian had to snicker faintly. The camera had a rudimentary microphone on it, but it wasn't the greatest quality. That combined with the wireless connection made Sawyer sound very tinny. But his focus was soon back on the tour. He leaned a little closer to the screen when Sawyer showed the aluminum-and-drywall back door. His gaze flicked about, taking in every detail. Then, a few seconds later, he grinned at the contents of Charlie's storage room. Seeing so many everyday objects from this level was unreal; a tupperware was like a Jacuzzi. "I never would have thought those little charm bottles could be actually useful," he said to Charlie, though his eyes were still fixed on the screen.

“Charms tend to be pretty useful, if they’re functional like that,” Charlie commented, still looking at the screen as well. “Really anything that’s been made to an easier scale like that is the best to use. They can be pretty few and far between though. Mostly you just end up making your own stuff.” Like the table in his main living space, which Sawyer had just gone from the storage room to (it was made of a large wooden stamp resting atop an empty spool of thread). “Or taking something that’s not particularly made to scale and just using it differently.” Like his reading chair in the corner, which was really just a hacky sack he used as a beanbag chair. ( _ That _ was an adventure getting to his house, but it was one of the best furniture items he had and he by no means regretted it.)

Sawyer was having fun showing Adrian everything, even though the microphone only went one way and he didn’t even know if they were listening or not. That didn’t stop him from giving the grand tour, however. “This is Charlie’s living room, it’s really just this and his bedroom and the bathroom. Normal stuff, table, chairs… those are the rest of his books over there.” This was a small pile of novels by the hacky sack. “As you can see the walls in here are papered with encyclopedia pages. I wasn’t kidding when I told you guys that. Most viri have wallpaper or decorate with stuff, hell I’ve got the usual watches and stamps and things, but he’s the only one I’ve ever known who decorates with  _ words _ .” On the other end of the feed Charlie flushed, unsure whether he wanted to laugh at Sawyer or be cross with him for that.

The resourcefulness of every bit of furniture had Adrian grinning widely. He nodded as Charlie explained everything, but Adrian couldn't resist a quiet burst of surprised laughter to see the hacky sack converted to a chair. It was the perfect size for it. Then, when Sawyer pointed out the wallpaper with teasing words, Adrian raised an eyebrow at his little friend. But he couldn't keep it up; Charlie just looked too concerned about the remark for him to keep teasing. "It's really cool," he commented. "I used to know an interior decorating major who'd probably love to design a room around something like that."

Charlie gave him a smile for that, the flush receding from his cheeks as Sawyer continued the tour on screen. “Dum duh dum, bathroom, yaddah yaddah…” Sawyer rambled as he carried the camera around the house. “Here’s the bedroom. Mine’s bigger,” he added cheekily, making Charlie roll his eyes on the other side of the camera. The bedroom was much smaller in comparison to the living room, probably only about ten square inches all counting. Most of it was taken up by his bed, which was really just a tidily gathered handkerchief atop a stray piece of foam. Other than that there wasn’t much in the room, besides a few neatly folded clothing items and a small child’s wristwatch hanging on the wall.

“That’s about it for the house,” said Sawyer, walking back out into the living room and out the front door. “This is the way I usually get up, via the elevator.” He pointed the camera towards the pulley system outside of the house, consisting of a looped string, a wooden spindle, and part of a plastic cup. “Can’t quite do that with the camera though, ya need both hands for that.”

It sounded like Sawyer was enjoying a chance to show off how his kind lived. Adrian figured the viri didn't often feel the need to talk about something so commonplace to them. But Adrian was absolutely awestruck, and very grateful for the trust Charlie had placed in him. He was probably the only human to see an active viri dwelling. He realized suddenly that Colfax would be incredibly jealous. "Colfax is gonna wish he hadn't stayed at the lab so late today," he commented. The ingenious little pulley alone would likely have the tall human intrigued for days.

Sawyer walked back through the house and out the back door again, closing the tin sheeting behind him. “That’s ‘bout it,” he commented, making his way back down towards where he came from. Turning around he faced the camera around a support beam and down the hallway past (and under) Charlie’s house. “Down that way’s the kitchen, and those damn stairs I fell down a couple of weeks ago.” He didn’t sound upset about that, however, more jocular than anything else. As he began walking back towards the living room he said, “Guess the only other things around are like, ladders and stuff, but those ain’t the most impressive things to show, we can just tell ya ‘bout those.” Within a few minutes he was at the door to the living room again, grinning up at the two sitting at (or on) the desk as he walked out onto the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You get a tour of Charlie's house-within-a-house! Courtesy of Sawyer, and Adrian's webcam of course. :D I love writing the viri things it's so much fun to think up the kinds of objects they would use for different things.


	40. Chapter 40

As Sawyer finished up the tour, Adrian tore his gaze away from the screen to address Charlie. "Your home is  _ amazing, _ Charlie," he commented with a smile. Indeed, everything had been built very efficiently considering the materials and space available. "Even more impressive is the fact that you built it by yourself." Even Adrian couldn't build things by himself, other than his small scale models. He found himself humbled once again by the level of ingenuity in the viri. Even that brief tour had taught him a lot. When Sawyer emerged, Adrian returned his smile. "Thanks for doing that," he told him. "That's the coolest thing I've ever seen."

At Adrian’s compliments Charlie flushed bright red with astonished embarrassment, barely managing to stammer out, “Th-thank you!” He’d never thought of his building as amazing- it was something everybody could do, after all, and he didn’t think it was much to look at. Evidently to Adrian, however, it was unbelievably impressive. As Sawyer returned and Adrian greeted him Charlie remained quiet and a bit dazed, his face still red and his mind whirling with the praise.  _ Amazing _ . Adrian had called his house  _ amazing _ .

Meanwhile Sawyer had made it close to the desk, craning his neck a bit to keep sight of the two of them. “No problem!” he answered Adrian brightly. “Thanks for the use of the camera.” He held up the hardware in question, waiting until Adrian had taken it off of his hands. Stretching out his arms with a grin he added, “It was a bit heavy, but your expression makes it all worth it.” Adrian looked simply giddy with excitement over their little “tour”. “Could you guys hear me from here? I was talking the whole time.”

Adrian reached down to take the camera from Sawyer's outstretched arms. He carefully set it down on the desk, making sure he knew where it was this time. Then, with a simple button press, he cut the video feed. He might have blushed upon hearing the comment about his expression, but at this point Adrian was too buzzed on the excitement to care. "We could hear you a little bit," he replied. "But the sound quality wasn't the best. It was like you were inside a really big tin can."

Sawyer just grinned. “But you  _ could _ hear me,” he said happily. “Means I don’t have to repeat myself.” He seemed pretty pleased with how it had gone; but then again he was pleased with most things he did. Looking up at the desk thoughtfully he called up, “Hey Charlie! You coming down or should I come up?” At this Charlie just shrugged, not really caring either way, and Sawyer just rolled his eyes. Walking over to the house he hopped up on the porch and disappeared inside, reappearing soon with his climbing gear. Within minutes he was up on the desk, taking a seat between Charlie and Adrian’s open laptop.

As Sawyer climbed up, Adrian clicked a few buttons to get his laptop into the shutdown process. He watched the viri's deft progress up the rope, absolutely amazed that he was probably one of the first humans to ever make friends with any viri. A knock at the door drew his attention, just as Sawyer scaled the furniture. With a grin, he stood. Before crossing the room, he glanced at Charlie and Sawyer. "Sounds like the wizard is back," he commented. He had to chuckle when he heard his friend's annoyed groan through the door.

"Are you ever going to get over that one?" Colfax asked as Adrian let him into the apartment. He hoisted his computer bag off his shoulder, abandoning it on the couch. A quick scan of the room later, he found the viri on the desk. So, feeling safe to walk around, he stepped around the couch to sit heavily on it. His eyes found the little camera on the desk. He raised his eyebrows questioningly, inviting someone to explain what the three of them had done all day.

“Why would we let something that good go?” Sawyer chimed in, grinning at Colfax. “You’ll always be a wizard in our eyes, bud.” If anything Colfax’s irritated reaction to that made him smile wider. Seeing his inquisitive glance towards the camera, however, Sawyer figured he would explain. “Oh, yeah, Adrian found his webcam and I took him on a little tour through the walls.” Charlie nodded with a smile, wondering for the first time if Colfax would have been interested in that sort of thing. “Showed him around Charlie’s place mostly, nothing too exciting.”

Colfax glanced at Adrian after Sawyer's explanation. His friend's expression was a mixture of smug and ecstatic, which only confirmed the story. Colfax had really missed a big opportunity there. But, he didn't want to ask Sawyer to give the tour all over again. His legendary patience would allow him to wait to see the viri's living spaces some other day. But, seeing Adrian's gloating smirk, he had to take care of this silly "wizard" nickname. And he had just the ammunition to do it. "Well, I'm sure it was quite an honor to have  _ Prince _ Adrian tour your home," he said to Charlie, though his dark eyes fixed on Adrian.

Adrian's eyes widened and he felt his face heat up. Colfax made a mock mischievous face before settling for a faint smirk. "Crap," Adrian said. "I didn't think anyone heard that." He groaned, shaking his head. He glanced over at Sawyer and Charlie, wondering what their reactions would be. After his painfully awkward conversation with Felicia, Adrian had been tight-lipped about everything they said, hoping to forget it. Well, this is what he got for teasing Colfax. He sent a fake glare at the other human, getting a triumphant chuckle in return.

At Colfax’s words Sawyer laughed outright, and even Charlie couldn’t help but chuckle. “Dude, we all heard that,” Sawyer told Adrian, a teasing smile still playing on his lips. “We were all there, remember? She was practically tripping over herself around you, the amount of awkward was tangible.” Though the events surrounding the memory were not the greatest, it had been weeks; they could tease Adrian about that small part without anxiety about the rest of it. “Charlie told me she even called you  _ noble _ before we got there.” A panicked look of “Don’t drag me into this!” crossed Charlie’s face and he swatted Sawyer in the arm, only making his friend laugh more.

Adrian's normally pale face went even redder. He couldn't fathom how Felicia had built up that image of him. And, though the teasing was going to be merciless for a while, at least it had provided an advantage. So he would just have to roll with it. "Noble, huh? Who knew anyone could be that cheesy?" He shook his head, but it was clear he was still a little embarrassed. At least now the woman probably wouldn't so much as look at him. He turned to Colfax. "Well, science wizard, did you get all that stuff graded? Is anybody going to pass the course?"

Colfax rolled his eyes. It was too much to hope that they'd forget his own stupid nickname in the wake of Adrian's princeliness. "Not if I can help it," he answered dryly, though he was thankfully joking. "Though they want me to go easier on them this time. Something about 'it's only an introductory-level course, give them time to learn this stuff’." He looked over at Charlie and Sawyer, and insisted in a deadpan tone, "I make all of their test questions from their textbook, I swear." He'd tried to convince Adrian of this many times; he doubted that the viri would be any less skeptical.

"I'm sure you do Colfax," said Sawyer, still grinning. "But I don't blame them for asking you to take it down a notch." He'd seen the textbooks Colfax worked with and all of them, even the ones he used in the undergraduate courses he ran, were almost ridiculously complicated. Sawyer could hardly make heads or tails of them for the most part, and Colfax's introductory students probably weren't faring much better. "Not everybody's as smart and er, motivated in their studies as you are Colfax," Sawyer added. "Some of them actually sleep."

Colfax smirked and chuckled a quiet chuckle. Of course he was aware of the stuff Sawyer mentioned. But he still figured that holding those students to such a high standard would only benefit them in the end. "Who needs sleep?" he mused, shrugging as if it were the greatest mystery known to man.

Adrian rolled his eyes. He had been one of the few college students that actually tried to get enough sleep at night. And, he could definitely remember more than a few times when he'd had to wake Colfax up in the library where he'd dozed off during his senior year as an undergrad. "Well, here's to hoping those poor kids survive the wrath of the great wizard," he quipped. Then, glancing at Colfax's bag, he asked, "So, have you got more work to do?"

Colfax followed his friend's gaze to the bag and shrugged. "Nothing urgent," he admitted. After all, it was a Friday. He didn't need to be back at the lab for several days.

"Then why don't we do something fun?" Charlie quipped. Sawyer turned to look at him, mildly surprised. Though Charlie was by no means antisocial, it was rare when he piped up of his own accord. "We could play a board game," the viri suggested somewhat shyly, almost making it sound more like a question than a statement. "They've always looked like a lot of fun, I've never played one before." Sawyer looked back at the humans and nodded enthusiastically, never having played one either. Playing human games before had of course been out of the question, and viri didn't really have common board games of their own, if any. There were  _ some _ games that were common enough to be widespread even amongst viri, but those were few and far between. It really just boiled down to chess and checkers, which were ancient, culturally speaking, and which they could easily make themselves.

Adrian's face brightened at the suggestion. "Oh yeah, definitely!" He glanced at Colfax, noting his passive approval of the suggestion, before turning to leave the room. He retrieved the few board games he had from the hall closet, bringing them back to set them on the couch opposite Colfax. "I don't have much of a collection... looks like we have Monopoly, Sorry, and Clue." He looked over at Sawyer and Charlie, showing them the lids of each box as he announced them. "Which one do you want to start with?" he asked.

Colfax looked at the small pile of games thoughtfully for a second. Finally, he spoke up. "I'll only play Monopoly on one condition." When Adrian raised an eyebrow at him to continue, he smirked. "I get to play the car token." Adrian rolled his eyes at that, but there was almost amusement on his face.

“What’s Monopoly?” Charlie asked, intrigued by Colfax’s determined statement. The human sounded so sincere about it, though Adrian acted like he was being silly. Charlie didn’t even know what he meant by a “token”. He had been looking at all the boxes with interest, and they all seemed very interesting, if still a bit confusing. After all, when every conceivable type of game never before played was an option, they all look pretty mysterious at first. Glancing back to Adrian he added, “How do you play?” Sawyer looked towards the humans as well, interested to hear what it all was about.

Adrian smiled, remembering that Charlie and Sawyer probably hadn't ever read the rules of any of the games. So, just for fairness, he set into briefly explaining each game. "In Monopoly, you start out with some money and you have to go around the board collecting properties. Then if someone else lands on your space, they have to pay some rent. The goal is to end up with more property than the other players." He picked up the lid to Sorry to show them again. "This one is a lot simpler, you just try to get your pieces around the board before the others do." He almost started explaining Clue, but was surprisingly enough interrupted by Colfax.

"Clue is a murder mystery game," Colfax said, widening his eyes slightly and shaking his hands in a mock spooky expression. "You have to go around the board collecting evidence to find out who committed a murder and with what." He paused, smirking as he debated whether or not to voice his opinion on the game. Deciding that it certainly couldn't hurt, he added, "And, like most murder mysteries, it is better played with scotch."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Board games are the best, especially when you've never played one before! Can you guess which one they're going to end up playing? XD
> 
> Wow, forty chapters! That's a lot of RP. :D Hope you guys are still enjoying it, because we sure are!


	41. Chapter 41

Charlie and Sawyer listened carefully as the games were explained. They all seemed very different, all intriguing in their own ways, but Colfax’s unusually expressive description of Clue made it stand out from the rest. “Let’s play Clue!” Sawyer said enthusiastically, turning to see what Charlie thought. His friend nodded emphatically, thoroughly on board. It sounded like a game with quite a bit of strategy involved, which Charlie liked. A mentally challenging mystery with a murderous twist was a bit too interesting to pass up. It certainly sounded more intriguing than Sorry, though he was sure that game was good fun as well. Sawyer was more excited because there were apparently weapons and alcohol involved, though he wasn’t one to balk from a test of strategy either. All considered it sounded like a thoroughly good time.

Colfax nodded once, smirking a triumphant smirk. It had been a while since he'd had the opportunity to just relax and have fun. In truth, he didn't need to very often. But, with everything that had happened, and with all of his work stacking up, it was a welcome diversion. When Adrian left to get the drinks ready, Colfax moved from the couch to the floor to set up the board. But, before he did, he reached up to offer a hand to Charlie and Sawyer. "You've made a wise choice," he remarked.

In the kitchen, Adrian poured some whiskey for himself and Colfax with ice. He had a couple of small cups that Charlie had let him keep in the cupboard, and had to be a little more careful about pouring them. Even so, the containers would probably contain more of the beverage than he and Colfax would get proportionally. He hoped it wouldn't make the viri sick. In order to carry everything all at once, he put all of the glasses on a serving tray and returned to the living room. "Sorry, guys... I don't have any ice cubes that would fit in your glasses."

Disembarking from Colfax’s hand to the floor, the two viri took a seat next to the game box. “Don’t worry about it,” Charlie replied to Adrian. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Sawyer went over to where Adrian had set the serving tray on the floor and grabbed the two viri-sized cups, handing one to Charlie as he took a seat once again.

Taking the cup, Charlie looked down at the liquid inside, giving it a cautious sniff. Sawyer gave him a strange look for that and Charlie flushed, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “I, er, I’ve never really tried alcohol before,” he admitted quietly. It wasn’t unusual among viri, as alcohol was often extremely hard to get to and even harder to take back with you, but he still felt a little shy about it. Sawyer just shrugged, taking a huge swig of his own drink; and making Charlie suddenly very nervous as he swallowed it all with a pained grimace.

Colfax picked up his own glass, shaking it side to side a little to stir the ice around in it. When he heard Charlie mention that he'd never had a drink before, he glanced down to the two viri. His gaze found them just in time to see Sawyer take a sizeable swig of his drink. Addressing Charlie, he explained, "Usually with this much, you sip the whiskey. What Sawyer just did is called shooting, and I wouldn't recommend it if you haven't ever tried it before." Of course, he couldn't be positive that  _ Sawyer _ had ever tried it before. Colfax just tended to assume that someone who could handle such a big gulp of scotch knew what they were doing.

"Hope you like it," Adrian said, holding his glass up in a toast. "Here's to solving the mystery," he announced with a chuckle, taking a sip before setting his glass down to set up the game. As he got the pieces all set up, he eyed Sawyer, wondering if he might soon feel the effects of his quick start with the alcohol. But, seeing Charlie's nervous expression, he offered an encouraging smile, silently telling him that there was no pressure; he could try the stuff at his own pace.

“Ah,” said Charlie in reply to Colfax’s explanations, staring down at his drink once more. “Alright.” He looked up in time to see Adrian’s smile, however, which he returned gratefully. Sawyer’s reaction to the drink had been a bit worrying to him, but a sip sounded much less… intense. To be honest he wasn’t even sure what he was expecting the whiskey to taste like. Supposing there was really only one way to find out he took a tiny sip, widening his eyes and choking slightly as the fiery liquid slipped down his throat. Setting down his cup he tried not to cough again, not wanting to seem incapable of handling the beverage after Sawyer had drunk so much to begin with. After a bit the sensation all but went away, however, leaving behind a rather pleasant aftertaste. Hesitantly he picked the cup back up again and took another sip, which went down much easier than the first.

Meanwhile Sawyer had stood up, looking out onto the board as the humans set out all the pieces. “This looks so cool,” he said, walking out onto it and looking down at the depictions of different rooms. Charlie leaned forward in an attempt to see what Sawyer was looking at, though he wasn’t about to get up to get a better view. Colfax set the small weapons tokens in the middle of the board, immediately drawing Sawyer’s attention. “Whoa!” he exclaimed, immediately going to investigate them. Picking up the revolver in his free hand (his drink was in the other) he turned to show Charlie with a grin. “Look at this!” he said enthusiastically. “This is so legit!”

Adrian kept an eye on Charlie as he took his first sip, remembering his own first experience with whiskey. The stuff could burn quite fiercely. He took another sip himself, relishing the warm feeling that was already beginning in his belly. Colfax had actually been spot-on. Adrian had to be impressed, because the guy didn't usually volunteer for such social activities, but this time he had been the one to  _ suggest _ one. While shuffling the cards, Adrian watched Sawyer enthusiastically pick up the little gun token. He had to laugh at his exclamation. "Thankfully not legit enough to be loaded with legit bullets," he commented.

Colfax chuckled faintly himself. He may have been imagining it, but Sawyer's southern drawl seemed to become a little more noticeable. Standing there with whiskey in one hand and a revolver in the other, all he needed was a hat and they were looking at a tiny cowboy. He thought about commenting on it, but Adrian had finished shuffling the cards and setting aside the mystery ones. It was likely time to explain the game a little further. "We each get three of these cards." He saw Adrian already preparing smaller bits of paper and some pencil shavings for the viri. "As we go along investigating, keep track of what you know  _ can't _ be one of the mystery cards."

“Oh, so it’s a matter of eliminating the choices you know to exist outside of the mystery cards. I see,” said Charlie, looking thoroughly intrigued. He glanced over at the board, where Sawyer was still mock-shooting things with the revolver, and back to where the cards sat next to Adrian. He was trying to make sense of how the cards would work. Each player would get some, that he understood; then, it would seem, there would be a mechanism within the game to allow one to see the cards other players held. That would be the way in which one could eliminate the choices. Having made sense of it thus far he turned back to Colfax and asked, “How do we go about investigating then?”

Colfax watched Sawyer play around for a few seconds, a bit tickled by his enthusiasm. When Charlie spoke up, he looked back at him to reply. He picked up one of the colored pawns that Adrian had already set out to demonstrate as he spoke. "You roll the dice and move your piece into one of the rooms. Then you can guess that the murder happened in that room, and you choose a weapon and a suspect that you haven't eliminated yet." He paused, trying to remember the actual rules for discounting guesses. "If the player to your left has a card that disproves you, they show you."

Adrian finished sorting out the cards for everyone, and had to add in his own strategy. "You're allowed to guess something that's on one of your cards, if you want to mislead the others." From the looks of things, the game was all explained and the cards all dealt out. He set the small papers and pencils he'd prepared for Charlie and Sawyer next to Charlie where he could reach. He hoped the clue cards wouldn't be too cumbersome for the viri, but he doubted that they would let it stop them.

“Sounds easy enough,” Sawyer said, putting the revolver back on the board and walking to the edge where Charlie was seated. Charlie handed him a paper and a bit of pencil and he thanked him, walking a few inches away before setting everything down again. With a glance at the hands of cards they had each been dealt, Sawyer carefully slid Charlie’s closer to him without looking at any of them. Once they were within reach he returned to his own cards, peeking under the edge while making sure they couldn’t be seen by anybody else. “Should we go ahead and start then?” he asked eagerly, writing down on his paper what his cards had been.

“I’m ready,” said Charlie, who was doing much the same thing. Looking out at the board he frowned and added, “Though, I think somebody will have to roll and move my piece for me.” He sighed lightly. “I don’t think I’m up for that much exertion tonight.” Not that he couldn’t do it himself, it would just be pretty tricky; not to mention arduous, what with his cast and all. The game would probably flow much better anyways if he just let people move the pieces for him. He could stay seated and remain the mastermind of his own deductions.

"No problem, Charlie," Adrian replied, checking out his own cards. "I'll roll the dice for you. You'll just have to let me know where you want your piece to go." He marked down his clues, and then picked up the die. "Shall we?" And, with the clattering of the cube across the board, the game began. It went slowly at first, since nobody could make it to any of the rooms right away, but quickly enough the pace picked up and the investigators were marking things off on their papers and drinking in between turns.

Colfax waited his next turn, eyeing his list of potential answers while taking a drink. Adrian was already a bit red in the face. He knew he might soon be as well, though it took a little more thanks to his extra foot of height. He was glad to see that Sawyer and Charlie were doing well. Sawyer especially seemed to take to the alcohol, his zest for life only increased. "Looks like you might need a refill soon," he remarked, seeing that the little cup had been nearly emptied.

“You betcha,” Sawyer replied, taking another hearty swig and emptying his cup. His face was pretty flushed, though by some miracle he was still completely steady on his feet. He stared intently at the board beneath him, tapping his chin thoughtfully as he examined the room in question. “I guess… Professor Plum, in the Bill’yard Room, with the lead pipe.” That said he moved all the pieces to the room he was standing on top of. Looking over to Charlie, who was the next in line to show him cards as well as playing as Professor Plum, Sawyer squinted suspiciously and asked, “Any cards for me, Professor?”

“Sorry, I can’t help you,” Charlie said, giggling at Sawyer’s expression. He pronounced “sorry” like “soar-ry”, his own accent becoming more pronounced through the night even as Sawyer’s did. Though his cup was only half empty, if that, Charlie had already turned quite red and was more than a bit tipsy. He just couldn’t seem to stop laughing at things, and it took him a while to even get his giggling under control after Sawyer made him start. In the end he just got the hiccups instead, the squeaky sound erupting from him every once in a while making him flush even redder from embarrassment. 

Charlie's laughter was infectious enough that Adrian had to chuckle along with him. The tiny hiccups didn't help slow down his giggle fit. Still, he was next to show Sawyer a card, so he picked his out. "I've got one. It's the-" He stopped himself just in time as he surreptitiously showed Sawyer the card, blocking it from the others' view. "I almost said it out loud," he announced, in case the others didn't get it. He still had a little bit of his drink left, but he was amazed at how quickly it could affect someone who hadn't had it in a while. The only one who seemed completely unaffected was Colfax.

Colfax took a long swig of his own drink to avoid laughing at Sawyer's antics himself. He finished it off, and finally started to feel the warm sensation in his gut. He swirled his remaining ice cube around his empty glass as Adrian picked up the die. When it came up a one, Colfax glanced at Adrian's green pawn across the board. It didn't matter which direction he went; he wouldn't get a chance to guess this turn. Colfax let himself chuckle that time, sounding more relaxed than he had in a long time. "Shoddy detective work, there, Adrian. Hanging around the hall won't get this murder case solved," he chided.

“Ha! Speak for yourself,” Sawyer said, who himself was standing in the middle of the hall, though his piece wasn’t. Walking off the edge of the board towards his paper and pencil he mumbled, “Imma solve this damn mys’try, jus’ you watch.” He got back and scribbled the card Adrian had showed him on his paper, trying to be as secretive about it as he could. As Adrian moved his pawn and then picked up the die to roll for Charlie, Sawyer walked over to the human’s cup. Bending almost double over it, he refilled his own cup from what was left, the small amount still at the bottom more than enough for a viri-sized drink. Reemerging, he leaned casually against the edge of the glass, drinking from his own newly full cup as he watched the game progress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clue's the name of the game! And scotch's the name of the drink. :D
> 
> (We should mention here that we only endorse drinking responsibly! All of these characters are adults and nobody's planning on driving. Be safe guys!)


	42. Chapter 42

“I can’t  _ hic _ make it anywhere either,” Charlie said once the die had landed. He spaced out looking at the board for a moment, a bit distracted by how  _ shiny _ everything was, until Adrian asked him where he wanted to move his piece. Shaking his head slightly, which really only made everything feel like it was spinning, he answered Adrian and watched as the piece moved. It was suddenly striking him all over again just how  _ big _ humans were, and he must have said something aloud because Sawyer was laughing and everybody was looking at him.

Adrian watched Sawyer march over to his glass, a bemused look on his face. He laughed as he returned to the game, shaking his head at the viri's antics. Even Colfax had to snicker briefly before standing to retrieve the bottle from the kitchen so he could refill his own drink. Adrian had to focus on counting the right number of squares as he moved Charlie's pawn, so he didn't quite catch what he said. But, Sawyer's laughter was infectious, so he looked over with a rosy-cheeked smile. "Having fun over there?" he asked, raising one eyebrow.

Colfax was moving steadily, but he was definitely moving slower than usual. As he sat down next to the game board once more, Charlie's remark reminded him of just how huge he felt next to the viri. He was used to towering over most humans, of course, but he smirked as he poured his drink, thinking about how drastic the difference was here. And they were still all getting drunk together. "Who  _ isn't _ having fun," he commented, even his usually-neutral tone allowing some emotion in. "There's scotch to be had and a mystery to be solved."

“I am honestly having… such a great time right now,” Charlie announced, raising his hand for emphasis. By the surprised (if rather unfocused) look on his face he hadn’t expected a cup to be held in it, and he somewhat bemusedly took a sip of his drink. “Like,” he continued, setting his cup down next to him, “I haven’t had this much fun in… in…” He looked a bit concerned about this, and more than a little bewildered. “Well shite, I think it’s been years since I had fun like this. Maybe never!” Pausing a moment as that thought sank in, he added, “That’s rather sad, actually.” Had it really taken a couple of humans and half a glass of whiskey to get him to have fun? Surely he’d had good evenings with friends before this whole scenario. Right?

“Aw, t’ain’t that bad,” Sawyer said, coming over and sitting down rather hard next to his friend. He gave Charlie a lopsided smile. “We’ve had good times together, right buddy?” Charlie still looked a bit skeptical as to the validity of their social lives, so he pressed on. “I mean, remember that time in Denver? With that couple in the apartment?”

“And they thought the place was haunted!” Charlie finished, dissolving into giggles. Sawyer grinned, glad to see his attempts to raise his friend’s spirits had succeeded. “Because things kept going missing! And… and then…” He was having trouble breathing, laughing, and talking all at the same time, and the result was a humorous mix of all three. “…then they got a Ouija board and tried to talk to the ‘spirits’ of the building, and we messed with the lights and they were  _ so convinced _ …” At this point he couldn’t take it any more and let the laughter take over, until he hiccupped and fell over with a squeak. This sent Sawyer, who was already laughing pretty hard, nigh into hysterics. He doubled up with laughter as Charlie struggled back to a seated position.

The game forgotten for the moment, Adrian and Colfax both turned their gazes to Charlie and Sawyer as they told their tale. Adrian felt the laughter bubbling up from his gut, and after finishing off his scotch he let it come. Now this was something he'd have liked to witness. Viri, scaring humans with their own superstitions! He put a hand over his mouth when Charlie fell over, feeling guilty for thinking it was funny. He reached out and, placing his hand carefully behind the intoxicated viri, helped him to sit back up. "Get a little top heavy?" he teased lightly, swaying before sitting back in a more stable position.

Colfax looked at his newly filled glass thoughtfully. "You lightweights," he commented. "Looks like I'll need to catch up pretty soon." He eyed Charlie, to make sure he'd be alright after falling over. He chuckled faintly at Sawyer's fit of laughter, making sure he wouldn't feel compelled to laugh while he drank. Then, without further ado, Colfax threw back a large swallow of the drink, opening his mouth in a faint "ah" as the liquid burned temporarily. That would probably help him along quite a bit; Adrian had picked out some good whiskey.

As Adrian helped him back up Charlie mumbled his thanks, his own hands lingering on the human’s for a bit longer than usual while he made sure he was steady. His face was still red, both from the alcohol and embarrassment at it having more of an effect on him than he had expected. Colfax had called them “lightweights”, which was probably true, especially in comparison; but Sawyer had already drunk near three times the amount he had, and  _ he _ wasn’t falling over. In fact, as Sawyer stood back up he remained perfectly stable with only a little bit of swaying (and even that might have just been a result of Charlie’s own vision impairment). Sawyer turned and gave Charlie a grin, which Charlie returned by sticking his tongue out childishly at him. 

Waking back out onto the game board, Sawyer surveyed all the tokens, taking another drink of whiskey. “Let’s get this damn mystery solved,” he said, grinning at everybody.  _ Before Charlie gets too far gone to actually play… _ he thought, but didn’t say aloud. He actually thought the fact that half a cup of whiskey could get Charlie that drunk that quickly was pretty amusing, and perhaps a little bit adorable considering it was Charlie, but he would never say that. Charlie was already self-conscious enough about it as it was. No need to embarrass him more. Yet. Looking around Sawyer added, “Whose turn is it?”

Colfax set his glass down and picked up the die, rolling it around in his palm for a few seconds. "I'm up," he responded simply, glancing over the various pieces on the board. After rolling, he had just enough to get his red pawn to one of the rooms. He looked at his cards and his investigator's notes thoughtfully. "I'm gonna guess Colonel Mustard, in the kitchen, with the knife." He glanced over at Sawyer, quirking an eyebrow at him. "What've you got, detective?"

Adrian looked over his cards after Colfax's guess. He was almost positive that Colfax had  _ shown _ him one of those earlier, but couldn't remember which. But, seeing as he was playing Colonel Mustard, his pawn was now clear across the board from where he had been trying to go. "You did that just to slow down my amazing investigative skills, didn't you?" he asked accusingly but with a smile still playing at his features. Colfax responded by coyly covering his smirk with his hand, his rarely seen mischief face. "This is an outrage!" Adrian said, though he couldn't exactly keep a straight face.

“Well it got you out of the hallway didn’t it?” Sawyer said, still laughing at their antics. Picking out a card from his hand he slid it over towards Colfax, only enough so that he knew which one was meant to be looked at. After all, all his cards were within the human’s reach, so why go to the trouble of moving it all the way across the board when Colfax could just get it himself? Sawyer looked at Colfax as he picked up the card and wrote it down, still somewhat amazed at how much Colfax had been smiling throughout the game. He was really loosening up; Sawyer had almost thought he didn’t have it in him. After all, in all the time he had lived with the guy, Sawyer had never once seen Colfax spend an evening like this. Then again, this evening was unusual in all sorts of ways, so it wasn’t exactly a fair comparison.

With Colfax’s turn now finished, Sawyer put his card back into his hand and started his turn. Picking up the die with both hands he “rolled” it, which really meant he just threw it into the air as best he could and made sure to get out of the way as it came back down. He took a celebratory swig of his drink as it came down a six, and moved his green pawn to the nearest room. “Let’s see,” he said, after running back to take another look at his sheet. “Uh, Ballroom, Missus White, and the rope. I think,” he said, double-checking the paper to make sure he got it right. “Yeah. Charlie?” Charlie nodded and looked through his cards, squinting at each of them a teensy bit too long before finally finding the one he was looking for and sliding it over to Sawyer. “Thank ya kindly,” Sawyer said, scribbling on his paper.

Colfax scanned the board, pondering the options. He tried not to think too competitively, though he at least pegged Sawyer as his most dangerous opponent in the race for the answer. Charlie was clearly too far gone, and Adrian seemed too bubbly to try too hard. It struck him suddenly that he was actually investing thought in a  _ game _ , something that had no impact on his carefully planned future in any way. He hadn't done that since graduation, he was positive. While it was true that Adrian had occasionally gotten him out of the house during college, “fun” to Colfax was usually reading a new study in the vet sciences field. It was quite a novel experience to actually have multiple friends at a time. He blamed the scotch for such mushy thoughts entering his head, but took another sip anyway. He silently watched as Adrian retrieved the die.

Adrian stared at the board. The dice wouldn't help him this turn either. Unless... "Oh, wait," he exclaimed with a smile, pointing at the room his yellow pawn currently rested in. "There's a secret passage. I'm gonna use that." He sounded rather proud of himself for having found the loophole, though the secret passage was clearly noted on the game board. He moved his pawn across the board, then back again. If he wasn't already rosy cheeked, he might have blushed. "I almost skipped Charlie," he said, a worried look on his face. He rolled the die quickly, looking over to Charlie for directions on where to move the purple pawn.

Colfax tsked, managing to keep his face from sliding into a smug expression. "See, Colonel, that's just the kind of military incompetence they're talking about on the news," he remarked. 

"Oh yeah? Is that so,  _ Miss Scarlet _ ?" Adrian asked, quirking an eyebrow and smirking conspiratorially at the viri.

Sawyer snorted into his drink at that, taking a sip to avoid what was probably an accusatory glance from Colfax. The comparison of the tall, reserved guy to a chick in a bright red dress was just too amusing not to laugh at. Charlie, on the other hand, was staring at the board with determination, if not actual concentration. “I’m going to go in the conservatory,” he announced. He paused for a moment as Adrian moved his pawn, before adding, “And I’m going to make my final guess.” Sawyer choked on his drink and Charlie looked around at everybody with confusion. “That… that is what you do when you’ve solved the mystery, isn’t it?”

“Well, yeah, it is, but…” Sawyer protested, stomping over to the edge of the board. “There is  _ no way _ you’ve solved it already.” He picked up his own game sheet, looking over his own findings with bewilderment. “There’s just no way,” he reiterated, “I’ve only got ‘bout half of the things figured out and I’ve been lots of places!”

“Then you’re not using enough logic,” Charlie said frankly, the alcohol only furthering his confidence in himself. “Because I’ve figured out all of it, and it’s Miss Scarlet in the conservatory with the wrench.” Looking somewhat smug at this deduction he looked up at Adrian, the motion almost toppling him backwards again. “I prove it with the cards now, right?” he asked the human, sounding pretty excited about it.

Colfax raised his eyebrows, actually a little surprised by this turn. It was hard to tell whether it was the alcohol that made Charlie so confident, or whether he had actually pieced it all together. He moved the correct pieces to the conservatory, more intrigued and amused than disappointed. Even as Adrian picked up the tiny folder holding the mystery cards, Colfax figured that he would be very impressed if Charlie figured it out. "It seems I stand accused of murder," he said with a smirk. "Will the law get the better of me?"

"We'll soon see," Adrian replied as he undid the little loop of string keeping the envelope closed. Then, he set it carefully next to Charlie so he could look for himself. After all, the rest of them could still possibly play if Charlie was wrong. "Here you go." He was eager to hear the verdict. He topped off his glass while Charlie pulled the cards out of the envelope to look them over. After the viri had a few minutes to squint at the answer to the mystery, Adrian's sense of anticipation was too much. He could see that Colfax had leaned forward slightly, too, curious. "Well?" Adrian asked.

Charlie just grinned. “I won!” he announced happily, struggling to turn the cards over so everybody could see. Sawyer made an indiscriminate noise of incredulity before coming over to help him, getting all three cards facing up. Sure enough, they were Miss Scarlet, the conservatory, and the wrench. “This game was fun,” Charlie said, thoroughly pleased with the outcome. He yawned, the whiskey making him lightheaded and sleepy. “We should play it again sometime…”

Meanwhile Sawyer was still trying to figure out how Charlie, the drunkest one there by far, had managed to win the game so quickly. “Let me see your paper,” he muttered, snatching it up from its place next to Charlie. His friend just watched with bleary amusement as he pored over the sheet. “What’s all this here?” Sawyer asked, sounding confused. He turned the paper towards Charlie, pointing to the notes and symbols he had made by each item.

“Those’re my notes,” Charlie replied, looking up at him. “Of who gave me what, and who didn’t have things… you know, because if you know who didn’t have things, then you can figure out who did.” At this Sawyer looked dumbfounded, because he had been playing very straightforwardly- he wrote down what people showed him and not much else. Which was normal, but basic compared to the mind games Charlie was evidently playing. Seeing the look on his face Charlie laughed and said, “I told you you weren’t using enough logic!”

Adrian's jaw dropped and a laugh escaped his throat. He looked over his investigator's paper, his few notes not offering him even the slightest idea of the mystery cards. He had to be impressed; glancing at Colfax, he could see his friend looking over his own paper. Colfax usually took a lot of notes, too, but apparently not enough. "That's pretty great," Adrian said, shaking his head. "Here I was thinking I took enough notes. But you left me in the dust." He chuckled, noticing how much Charlie was still affected by the scotch. Even amidst his drunken haze, he had solved the mystery much quicker than Adrian had thought it could be done.

"That's an impressive mind you've got there, Charlie," Colfax remarked. He found himself wondering what the viri could accomplish if he had more resources. He would easily fit into the professor role. He suddenly felt that lingering feeling of wanting to figure out more about the viri. A formidable mind like that... Colfax just smirked and took a drink of his whiskey. It was much easier to knock down the scientist in him when the comfortable warm feeling from the alcohol was so present. "Well, you caught me, detective. I did it." He spoke in his usual deadpan, but, after putting his drink down, Colfax put his hands in front of himself, wrists together.

Charlie couldn’t help but giggle at the confession, Colfax’s straight face somehow making it seem even more melodramatic. “I don’t think I have handcuffs big enough for this prisoner,” he said, playing along. Looking up at Adrian he announced, “Adrian, I hereby deputize you. Take this murderer a-… ah-…” His speech was interrupted by a large yawn, making his whole face scrunch up. “… away,” he finished lamely, rubbing his eyes.

“Looks like somebody needs to go to bed,” said Sawyer, walking over and crouching next to Charlie with a smile. Charlie may have won the game, but he sure was losing to the whiskey. At this suggestion Charlie shook his head emphatically, which of course only served to disrupt his already precarious balance and send him toppling over once again.

This time he made no attempts to get back up, however; instead he curled up as if going to sleep, his hands burrowing into the carpet fibers. “No sleep,” he said, though his body seemed to be arguing otherwise. Struggling to keep his eyes open he looked over at Sawyer and shook his head again, messing up his hair in the carpet. Reduced to mumbling he added, “Wanna play ‘nother game…” Obviously, however, that wasn’t going to be a viable option soon.

Adrian covered up his amused grin with a hand when Charlie tipped himself over, not wanting to embarrass the little guy. Looked like Charlie's first foray into drinking was coming to a close about exactly the way Adrian had expected. He had to stifle a yawn himself. "We can try another game tomorrow, how's that sound?" Now that the excitement and surprise of Charlie's win was wearing off, Adrian was beginning to feel the effects, too. So, he raised his eyebrows when Colfax downed the last of his drink.

Colfax shrugged faintly. "No point letting it go to waste," he remarked, setting his glass down. Then, his movements careful and slow, he reached down to set his hand next to where Charlie lay mumbling. The medical side of him won out, though he was tempted to let the viri stay awake to hear more of his amusing “I'm not tired” routine. But, it looked like he needed to be put in bed before he just dropped off to sleep somewhere else. "Your cab is here," he said with a smirk. It was only a short distance to the shelf, but he was willing to bet that even with Sawyer's help, Charlie would meander a lot on his way there.

Still mumbling things under his breath Charlie climbed onto Colfax’s hand, taking his crutch when Sawyer handed it to him. He laid his head against Colfax’s fingers, turning further into them as he was lifted into the air. Finishing his drink, Sawyer walked back the short distance to the house, meeting up with Charlie again as Colfax lowered him to the shelf. “Up ya get,” he said, helping Charlie up off of Colfax’s hand and to his feet. He was swaying something awful, and even when Sawyer helped get the crutch under his arm he sort of slid down it slowly before sitting on the floor. Sawyer just chuckled and said, “Alright, that ain’t gonna work. Come on.” With that he reached down and picked Charlie up into his arms, bridal-style.

“No,” Charlie protested sleepily, though he was too tired to even struggle out of Sawyer’s arms. “…can walk m’self…”

“No you can’t,” Sawyer replied bluntly. Turning to look back at Adrian and Colfax he said, “G’night guys!” and walked through the front door, kicking it shut behind him. Careful not to bump Charlie’s head on anything he made his way to Charlie’s bedroom, setting Charlie down on the bed once they got there. Just in time, too, as Sawyer was beginning to really feel the effects of the whiskey himself. “Night bud,” he said with a yawn, and Charlie mumbled something in reply as he tugged the blankets over himself. Staggering his way to his own bedroom, Sawyer collapsed into bed, not bothering with covers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thus a night of drunken antics and a game of Clue comes to a close. XD I'll tell you now, the next morning is going to be rough... in more ways than one. ;D


	43. Chapter 43

Once the viri were safely back home, Colfax stood, turning to Adrian. He was still gathering up the pieces of the game, putting them back in their places in the box. Colfax went to help, feeling a little light-headed when he knelt down suddenly. He was definitely a little bit wobbly. "That was pretty interesting," he commented. "He certainly had me fooled."

Adrian nodded, his eyebrows rising in residual surprise. "I have a feeling he'd be a _nasty_ chess opponent." Adrian knew he was quite decent at chess. But he doubted that even he could keep track of as much information as Charlie had done _while drunk_. And it didn't look like he was acting to throw everyone off guard, judging by how Sawyer had to carry him the last steps of the way.

Colfax nodded once he thought about it. Charlie probably had most games figured out to the end only a few turns in. It was actually an incredibly useful skill for someone who had to live like he did. Colfax might never stop being amazed by what these people could do. As he put the lid over the game box, he quietly said, "Hey, I know it's short notice, but-"

"But you've had too much to drink and I'm not gonna let you drive home." Adrian interrupted, knowing that Colfax probably didn't like having to ask. He got a grateful nod in confirmation, and he stood. "I'll get an extra pillow for the c-c-couch," he announced, having to stifle a yawn.

Before long, everyone in the apartment was sound asleep. Sawyer and Charlie in their model house, Adrian in his bed, and Colfax on the plushy couch. Even the tall human, definitely closest to the door, didn't hear the following morning when Adrian's mother quietly knocked, and then let herself in with a copy of the key. When she saw Colfax there, she tutted quietly with a smile, knowing immediately what had happened. Not wanting to wake anyone, she decided to help out by doing the dishes and getting breakfast going. She set her purse next to the couch and slipped quietly into the kitchen.

It was a while later when Sawyer woke up, though he immediately wished he hadn’t. A low groan escaped from his parched lips as he struggled to sit up, clutching his head. It felt like something was trying to hammer its way out of his skull. Even the dim light seeping through his eyelids was aggravating it. He spent more than a few moments sitting on the edge of his bed bent double, before the pain everywhere subsided to a duller throb. Taking deep breaths he sat up and squinted around his room, making a mental note to himself to never be this hungover again.

Standing on shaky legs he made his way across the hall, peeking into the other bedroom to check on Charlie. His friend was still asleep, a bundle of messy hair and sprawled limbs tangled up in the dishcloth. Thus assured, Sawyer made his way to the front of the house. He could hear somebody in the kitchen and assumed it was Adrian. With a large cup of strong black coffee in mind he stumbled out the front door, immediately closing his eyes against the painful rays of sunlight coming in through the front window.

All but blinded like this, he felt his way towards the edge of the shelf, running practically on autopilot. Slipping off onto the floor he made his way to the door in the wall like usual; or, he would have, if there hadn’t been something thoroughly unexpected in the way. As it was he didn’t even make it to the floor. Once off of the shelf he fell into someplace dark and full of all sorts of things, banging painfully into most of them as he did so. “What the...?” he muttered in confusion, trying to take a look at where he was. His eyes were still adjusting to the sudden darkness as he felt over the thing nearest to him and peered intently at it. “Keys?” Squinting up at the pool of light at the open top of the place he frowned. Where was he, and what was it doing on the floor? He was much too hungover to be dealing with this sort of thing.

Adrian woke, his mouth feeling drier than a desert. He sat up in bed, scrunching up his face at the light coming in the window. It was midmorning; he'd slept a lot longer than he'd planned to. Then again, he could hardly have expected anything else after two glasses of that scotch. And, judging by the throbbing headache wandering around his skull, the others would probably be waking up feeling as frazzled as he was. He turned over, stepping out of bed slowly, pinching his eyes closed as the rush nearly knocked him back over again.

A yawn and a stretch later, Adrian heard a faint clattering in the kitchen. He left his room slowly, scratching his head. His blue eyes slowly focused on Colfax still sound asleep on the couch. _What?_ he thought, confused. He went into the kitchen, his confusion written on his face. His demeanor relaxed again when he saw his mother at the sink, watching dishes. And, bless her forever, he could see that she had set the coffee maker to brewing some of the lifesaving liquid.

"Good morning, sweetie," she said softly, putting one of the last dishes on the drying rack. "How are you feeling?"

Adrian chuckled nervously, shrugging. "I'm okay. But Cha... uh, Colfax, I mean, was worse off than me by the time we hit the hay." He inwardly berated himself for almost slipping up, but his mother just smiled, apparently writing off his stutter as hangover symptoms.

"Well, I won't stay too long," she said as she led him back into the living room. "It looks like it'll be awhile before he's up. But I just stopped by to say hi, I just got back from breakfast with Linda." Adrian smiled politely, unable to keep up with how many friends his social-butterfly mother had. He watched as she picked up her purse from the floor, hanging it on her shoulder and retrieving her car keys from a side pouch. Adrian had no clue that she'd inadvertently picked up a passenger. "Be sure to drink lots of water this morning, okay?"

Sawyer was in the midst of an endeavor to climb out of wherever he was when the sound of a familiar voice made him freeze. _That’s Adrian’s mom,_ he realized, before looking around the dim space he was in with new awareness. _Aw hell…_ The purse was picked up and he fell back down, narrowly dodging a human hand as it reached down and grabbed the keys beneath him. Heart (and head) pounding, he tried to figure out what he should do. It was obvious she was leaving, she wouldn’t have taken the keys otherwise. He didn’t want to leave the house and end up somewhere unknown, especially without anybody knowing he was even doing so, but he didn’t really have a choice. It wasn’t like he was going to just pop up and introduce himself; he and Charlie had already agreed that two humans (technically three) knowing about them was the limit. Probably beyond the limit, but he couldn’t push it further. That would just be stupid. 

As Adrian and his mom said their goodbyes Sawyer briefly debated trying to poke his head out and get Adrian’s attention somehow. Looking up, however, he could see it was no use. Elle was _right there_ , if she so much as looked down the right way she could see him now, forget if he was sticking his head out and waving at Adrian or something. In other words, he was stuck.

"You got it, Mom," Adrian answered. When his mother blew him a kiss, he returned the gesture. It was the closest she could get to actually kissing his cheek; out of all his family members, Adrian's mother was the only one who actually respected his strict personal bubble. She stepped out the door, offering a warm smile. "I'll be home all day; I'm determined to clean up that attic room!" she cheerfully announced before closing the door behind her.

Adrian chuckled as she left, padding back into the kitchen. The coffee pot was filling up. He jumped slightly when some bread jumped up in the toaster; he retrieved it quickly, putting it on a plate while he retrieved the butter. He was blissfully unaware of anything out of the ordinary; he was an early riser on normal days. Colfax, Charlie, and Sawyer would probably wake up at their own paces. Though, he hoped they would get up soon or he'd be tempted to down all the coffee himself.

Adrian only waited a couple minutes more. He could hardly resist going back into the living room, where Colfax slept like the dead. Adrian leaned over the couch and loudly said, "Hey!" backing off quickly when Colfax shot up where he lay. The dark eyes were only open for a second before they squeezed shut again and Colfax lay back down with a mumbled epithet. Adrian snickered, but then announced in a quieter voice. "You look like you could use some coffee."

The first thing Charlie was aware of was Adrian’s voice outside the house. The second thing was an enormous headache. Humming slightly in irritation he buried his head further into the washcloth, wondering why he felt so awful. Oh that’s right, they had played Clue last night. He had gotten drunk for the first time, and then he had won. So _this_ was what being hung-over felt like. He’d always wondered if humans were just dramatic about it or if it really did hurt. 

It really did hurt.

After a few moments of just lying there, he realized that he probably wasn’t going to fall asleep again, so he might as well get up and see if the humans had any tips on how to feel better. Sitting up he swung his legs over the side of the bed, wincing as it sent a rush through his aching head. Grabbing his crutch from where Sawyer had leaned it against the wall last night (he remembered that; he remembered everything, really, and some he was too embarrassed by to mention) and made his way out into the hall. Peeking into Sawyer’s room he could see it was empty. No matter, his friend was probably out in the living room already with Adrian.

Adrian had just brought Colfax a mug of coffee when movement in the corner of his eye drew his attention to the small model house. "Good morning, Charlie," he greeted softly, seeing the signs of a monstrous headache on his tiny friend's face.

"If you're wondering who's making all the noise," Colfax said before taking a big gulp of the blessedly hot coffee. While he drank, he pointed a thumb at Adrian, an accusatory glare still lingering in his eyes. He got a faint chuckle in return.

Adrian leaned over to check on Charlie, making sure he didn't look like he'd be sick. "Feeling alright? Do you want some coffee?" he offered. "There's toast too, if you want some." He didn't ask after Sawyer. After all, Sawyer had drunk quite a lot, and at the moment it made perfect sense that he'd still be soundly asleep.

“I have a bloody enormous headache but that’s about it,” Charlie replied, taking a seat on the edge of the porch. Adrian seemed pretty chipper, but perhaps that was because he had been up for a while already. Colfax, on the other hand, looked much like Charlie felt at the moment. At least he wasn’t the only one. In reply to Adrian’s offer he said, “Coffee sounds fantastic, thank you.” It was the next best thing to crawling back in bed and sleeping some more. Trying to stifle a yawn with his hand he added jokingly, “That is, if Sawyer hasn’t drunk it all already.” He was assuming his friend was in the kitchen getting some of the lifesaving liquid himself, since he didn’t see him anywhere in the living room.

Adrian was just straightening up to get Charlie some coffee when his joke registered in his mind. He looked back down at him, tilting his head curiously. "Sawyer wasn't in the house? I haven't seen him all morning."

Colfax, though he wanted to just have his personal coffee meditation and block out the world, couldn't help but tune in. It sounded like there was some confusion on where Sawyer was, and he couldn't help but begin wondering. Charlie wouldn't have asked if Sawyer was in the house, and knowing the viri's always-be-alert nature, he knew he would have checked to be sure. Ignoring how long it had taken his hangover-besieged mind to churn out those deductions, Colfax leaned forward. "He did go to bed right after you, correct? He wouldn't have wandered into the walls?"

Adrian frowned, hoping that wasn't the case. It would be near impossible to find out if Sawyer was okay if the guy had passed out inside the walls somewhere. "Maybe he came out this morning and then had to hide when my mother stopped by, and is making his way back now."

Colfax turned a bemused look to Adrian. "Your mom was here?" _While I was sleeping on the couch?_

"Yeah, just to put the coffee on," Adrian answered.

Charlie frowned, worry crossing his face. Sawyer wasn’t one to leave his whereabouts unknown, at least not for long; still, he could have been hiding from Adrian’s mother. It made him nervous to think about a hung-over Sawyer being caught unawares by a surprise human visit, but obviously nothing had happened or Adrian would have known. He probably was hiding somewhere if Adrian hadn’t seen him yet. “Yes, he went to sleep in the house as far as I know,” Charlie replied, sounding troubled all the same. “But he wasn’t in bed when I woke up.” He sighed, hoping Sawyer hadn’t gone into the walls and done something stupid. “If he’s hiding somewhere or in the walls he’ll make his way back here soon, I’m sure. If we wait a few minutes he should show up somewhere.” Hopefully. Looking up at Adrian he tried to smile and stop being such a worrywart, as Sawyer always said. “Especially if he realizes there’s coffee to be had.”

Adrian returned Charlie's smile. Hopefully their suspicion was correct. He wasn't sure what they'd do if Sawyer was missing. Where would they look? Charlie could search the walls, but Adrian guessed that many of his passages were still inaccessible with only one good leg. He went to retrieve Charlie's coffee while he thought. His mother definitely didn't act like she had seen anything. So Sawyer had probably decided to hide, and would be back soon. He brought Charlie his coffee, relaxing a little at the idea that Sawyer should come walking out of the wall panel any minute now.

Colfax, however, was not so sure. Sawyer had had a lot to drink, but he had handled it like a pro. He just couldn't see the viri wandering around in the walls and getting lost or anything like that. He sipped his coffee, his dark eyes fixed on the entrance to the walls near the shelf. A nagging feeling in his gut told him that it wasn't so simple. He racked his brain for a possible explanation. What would have been different if Adrian's mother was here when Sawyer was up and about?

“Thank you,” Charlie said to Adrian, taking the coffee from him with a grateful smile. Blowing on it slightly he took a small sip, his eyes unfocused as he swallowed the warm liquid. He couldn’t shake the feeling either, and the more time that passed without so much as a sound suggesting Sawyer’s return the more worried he became. It wasn’t like him to keep everybody waiting longer than necessary, and he knew how prone Charlie was to worrying. If he had been hiding he would have made sure to get back as soon as possible. At most it should have only taken him a couple of minutes to get back, from just about anywhere in the house really. After all, the place wasn’t _that_ big.

A few more minutes of silence passed before Charlie’s anxiety boiled over. “I’m worried,” he admitted, looking around once more before gazing up at the two humans. “If Sawyer weren’t in trouble he would be back by now. Adrian, you’re certain your mother didn’t see him?”

Adrian nodded. "She definitely would have freaked out if she saw him." Though whether she'd have mistaken Sawyer for a mouse or thought he was the most darling little thing ever was beyond even Adrian's guess. His mother could be excitable sometimes.

Colfax had a thought. "Did she take anything with her? Laundry? Dishes?" he asked. Anything that Sawyer could have hidden in could have easily been carried out without Elle even knowing.

Adrian shook his head. "She did the dishes here. She was just stopping by to say hello." If things weren't so tense, he'd have griped at Colfax for implying that Adrian couldn't do his own damn laundry. But, he had to admit that he was worried, too. "She only had... her purse..." His eyes widened with realization. He wordlessly pointed to the spot where his mother had set down her purse. It was definitely close enough to the shelf to make sense.

"Well, shit," Colfax muttered.

Charlie didn’t know whether to be worried for Sawyer or irritated that his friend had managed to get himself into some ridiculous situation yet again. He settled for both. “Right, well at least we know where he is now,” Charlie said dryly, taking another drink of coffee to fortify himself. “He’s with your mother, though hopefully he hasn’t gotten into even more trouble along the way. Was she just on her way home? We could go pick him up easily if she was.” Though there was obviously a risk in Sawyer being carted off by a human, at least it was one they knew. If she was just at home then the three of them could go fetch him without any issue. After all, he shouldn’t be in danger of anything for the short while it took them to get there, right? 

Adrian ran his hand down his face, stopping at his chin. He regarded Charlie steadily, not wanting to alarm him. But he _had_ to tell the truth. "Yeah, she went home," he answered quietly. "Thing is, we, uh, well, mom has a pet cat." He pushed his blond hair back nervously, glancing at Colfax. He looked over in time to see his tall friend throw back the rest of his coffee, temperature be damned, before getting up. Adrian raised his eyebrows, sharing a wordless glance with Colfax, before turning to get his shoes and keys. Clearly it was time to go. He knew that his cat back home wasn't particularly vicious, but it _was_ a predatory animal. It was just hard to see beyond all the purring and the nuzzles that it could pose a significant threat to a viri.

“A cat?!” Charlie squeaked, his heart practically stopping at the thought. A jolt of terror ran through him at the thought of Sawyer being in the same vicinity as such a thing. Animals were large and dangerous and horrifying, but cats were perhaps the most so. After all, a dog might bruise you or even bite you, but a cat would eat you. In some ways they were more terrifying than humans. 

Colfax knelt in front of the shelf. "We can go and get him immediately. This cat is one of the more friendly animals I've ever seen, but it's better not to take chances." He spoke calmly and with confidence that Sawyer would be fine. He didn't want Charlie freaking out before they knew for sure what was going on. Colfax offered a tentative hand to the viri. "If you want to come with us, I will carry you." While travelling around wasn't something Colfax could recommend as a medical professional, he could at least relate to wanting to see if Sawyer was okay as soon as possible. Calm demeanor aside, he found himself worrying for Sawyer's well being.

Charlie scrambled immediately into Colfax’s outstretched hand, forgoing his crutch in his haste. His heart was pounding, and he was freaking out despite Adrian and Colfax appearing calm about the situation. They just didn’t understand, they couldn’t, they were humans! Humans kept those things as companions, they couldn’t possibly see how dangerous they were. A cat that was perfectly nice around them could have already wounded Sawyer, or worse. “Of course I’m coming with you,” he said, almost breathless from worry. “We have to help him as soon as possible!”

Before lifting Charlie into the air, Colfax delicately picked up the small crutch in his other hand. He set it down next to the frantic viri, hoping that his own concern wasn't showing on his face. Then, he stood, cupping a careful hand in front of Charlie to hide him from view. He was getting better and better at carrying them around, though he had only taken them outside a few times. Adrian was at the door already. Nodding once, Colfax let him lead the way. "We'll find him, Charlie. We won't let anything bad happen to him." Colfax spoke quietly, hoping that the encouraging words would have the right effect. If Sawyer really was in danger, he didn't want to have two stressed out viri; it simply wasn't healthy.

“I hope so,” Charlie murmured quietly, clutching his crutch and leaning against Colfax’s curled fingers. He had no doubt that once they got there they would be able to keep him safe, but the trick was in getting there. What if they arrived and something bad had already happened? They couldn’t very well protect Sawyer in the time that had already passed. Their only hope was that he was able to stay safe until they got there and remain unseen; from both human and cat.

~~~

Elle hummed to herself on the way to the car. She was certainly glad that her Adrian seemed to be getting something of a social life back after working so hard in school. She opened her car, setting her purse on the passenger seat before getting seated herself. She reached into it briskly, plucking her large smartphone out and plugging it into the stereo on her car. Soon, outdated pop music flounced out of the speakers (but at a polite volume) as she pulled away from the curb, humming along.

Sawyer settled morosely at the bottom of the pocket as she walked to her car, shutting his eyes for a moment to nurse his still pounding headache. He could hardly think with the hangover jackhammering at his skull. What a morning indeed. There was a slight jolt as the purse was set down in the car, and Sawyer stayed completely still as she rummaged about in the main part of the bag for something, but soon enough they were off and on their way; to wherever it was they were going.

Being as quiet as possible, Sawyer struggled to the top of the pocket he was in, grabbing the lip of the fabric and peering out cautiously. With a small bit of relief he saw that he was on the opposite side of the bag from where Elle was seated, meaning that if he stayed low she wouldn’t be able to see him. Unfortunately, from this hidden vantage point he couldn’t see anything out of the windows. He had absolutely no idea where they were going. Frowning, he considered his options. He was going to end up somewhere unknown, that much was certain. He could probably get out of the bag now if he wanted to, but what good would that do? Then he would just be in the car, which was much harder to get out of. No, better to just stay in her bag and try to figure something out once they got to their destination. With that settled he sunk back into the pocket, trying to make his hangover-plagued self as comfortable as possible on the miscellaneous items down there with him. It was looking to be a long morning.

It took Elle almost ten minutes to get home. Her house was nestled in a suburban neighborhood, with lots of well-cared-for lawns and impeccably clean streets. She parked in the driveway, shutting off her music and grabbing her purse. She hummed a cheerful tune as she entered the house, walking straight back to the living room first.

The room was elegantly decorated in maroon and gold, looking like Elle had chosen simple but nice pieces to complete the look. She enjoyed making her home look like a magazine sometimes; it gave her something to do ever since Adrian had gone off to college. She set her purse down on one of the large sectional couches before going to the big sliding glass doors. When she opened the blinds, the room was filled with natural light. "There's some light for you, dear," she said, looking over at a wide dresser with a large portrait in a picture frame resting atop it.

She went over to the other end of the couch, where a fat brown and white cat stretched luxuriously on the poofy cushions. "Who's my kitty?" she cooed, scratching the lazy thing's ears. "Sleepy kitty. You'll want to avoid upstairs today, won't you? 'Cause mama's finally going to vacuum the hallway." After getting a warbly meow in return, Elle left the room to go upstairs and get to work.

“Oh no,” Sawyer whispered, his eyes widening as he listened. She had a  _ cat?! _ This was so not good. 

After she left the room he waited a few moments, making sure she wasn’t coming back, before scrambling his way to the top once again. Poking his head out he scanned the room for the feline in question, his heart palpitating anxiously. Cats didn’t often get along well with beings much smaller than them, especially ones that could be prey- and viri were no exception to that. Spotting the large cat lying sleepily on the couch he ducked back down, only his eyes peering over the edge of the purse. What was he going to do now? His plan had been to try and call Adrian, since Elle had left her cell phone in the bag after getting out of the car, but that was in the main compartment. To get to it, he would have to get out of the pocket he was in and climb back into the main one; all within sight of an enormous cat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back! :D And Sawyer's in trouble, as per usual. There's no such thing as a quiet morning with this crew. ^^;


	44. Chapter 44

The cat, now awakened from its snooze, cleaned its paws slowly. Then, with another sleepy meow, it stood up and stretched its back, blinking slowly. Before sitting down, it began to sniff the air. A new scent had come into the house with its human! It uttered another non-committal sound before walking across the couch towards the bag the human always carried. It began to sniff curiously around the thing, tracking the new smell to one of the pockets. A playful purr began to rumble in the big cat's chest. There was definitely something new there to be discovered! It reached out a tentative paw, prodding curiously at the pouch. It didn't reach into the purse just yet, but it was likely only a matter of time before the new smell became too enticing not to investigate. It meowed softly, as if hoping that would magically explain everything.

Before Sawyer could decide anything, the cat leapt off the couch and padded over to the purse. Swearing, Sawyer disappeared back into the depths of the pocket, hoping it would decide whatever scent it had picked up to be uninteresting. That hope was dashed, however, by a huge paw batting at the outside of the pocket he was in. Sawyer backed up against the wall furthest from it, the low rumble of the cat’s purr rattling through his chest and filling him with terror. The damn thing had found him, and it didn’t seem likely to give up anytime soon. “Just go away!” Sawyer yelled at it, like that was going to do anything. Then again, it was about all he  _ could _ do. “Leave me alone you… you big fat feline!”

The cat gave a squeaky meow in reply to the words. Whatever it was made human noises! It leaned forward, sniffing the purse once more. The scent did contain something familiar. The cat meowed playfully to recognize the faint smell of its other human, the young one that had moved out. Perhaps its human was hiding in the bag somehow! The cat poked its nose into the pouch, trying to nudge it open. The being inside wasn't its human; but it sure smelled like him, and it looked like a human. So the cat figured it was likely here to love it, like all the other humans did.

Warbling out another meow, the cat shifted and flopped over on its side, the purse in front of it. Its purring increased in volume, though it was waiting for the creature inside the purse to make a move and come out.

“Huh?” Sawyer muttered, confused as the cat’s attempts to get inside the purse abruptly stopped, though the rumbling purr didn’t. After a few moments of nothing happened he risked moving, cautiously and quietly looking out over the lip of the pouch again. “What the…?” he exclaimed quietly, his eyes widening in surprise at the sight before him. The cat was lying on the floor in front of him, furry stomach exposed to the purse. It was looking at him, but not with cold focus or a hunting gaze. Honestly, if he had to guess, he’d say it looked… expectant. And  _ happy _ . For the life of him he couldn’t figure out why. Didn’t this count as a friendly surrender for cats? They did it all the time to the humans they lived with. 

A strange thought flashed through his mind. Maybe it thought  _ he _ was human. After all, he probably smelled like Adrian’s house after so long living there, and at some point this had been Adrian’s cat. His recent affiliation with humans, however strange, seemed to have just saved his life.

The cat's eyes turned lazily toward Sawyer when he finally emerged, its purring picking up some volume. Any minute now, this very small human that smelled so familiar would probably scratch its ears. It closed its eyes sleepily, mewing faintly. It cleaned a paw nonchalantly, but then rolled over onto its back. It looked over at Sawyer again, this time upside down and with its head squashed onto the carpet at a goofy angle. Its tail swished back and forth as it lay there. In fact, the position was so comfortable, the cat considered going back to sleep there.

Sawyer blinked, stunned for a moment. It really was being friendly with him, just like cats were with humans. He didn’t think he’d ever felt such a mix of fear and confusion and relief in his life. Strangely enough, he felt like laughing- despite being a huge predatory animal, it looked absolutely ridiculous with its head turned to him like that.

Carefully, still not entirely convinced that this wasn’t a terrible idea, he climbed out of the pocket and dropped lightly onto the floor. His eyes never left the cat, half expecting it to spring towards him at any moment, claws outstretched. It didn’t. “Nice kitty…” he said gingerly, taking small steps towards the main pocket of the purse. He glanced nervously towards the stairs, hoping that Elle wouldn’t come back anytime soon. Trying to retrieve her phone with both her and the cat around might be a bit too much for him to handle.

The cat watched curiously as the new human hopped out of the bag. It blinked lazily at him, warbling softly upon being called a Nice Kitty. But it sure looked like he wasn't going to come and greet the cat. That just wouldn't do. The cat rolled over again, standing and moving closer. It sniffed the small human, coming closer than an inch to investigate. That was definitely the smell of its other human. The familiar scent was comforting to the cat.

It abruptly nuzzled Sawyer, rubbing the top of its head on him. It expected scritches on its ears. Nobody could ever resist the nuzzles! But this one seemed a little flustered with the closeness. The cat crouched down, eyeing the shy little human curiously.

The cat stood up and Sawyer instinctually froze, petrified as it loomed over him. It practically touched him as it sniffed, causing him to stumble back a couple of steps to maintain any semblance of personal space between him and the beast. He was in the middle of a step when it suddenly pushed its head at him, giving him a face full of fur and unbalancing him so that he fell over onto the carpet. Sitting back up he looked at the cat, only to flinch back slightly to see it crouched down and staring at him.

By now it was obvious it wasn’t going to hurt him, though. It probably only wanted attention. “I don’t have time for you right now!” Sawyer complained aloud to the cat, thinking that he might not have the nerves to approach the enormous predator either. He had to get to the phone, however, and it would seem the cat wouldn’t leave him alone until he gave it the attention it wanted. So, hoping he wasn’t going to regret this horribly later, he hesitantly stretched out a hand and set it just above the cat’s nose.

The purring settled into a more contented rhythm. The cat was pleased with itself for finally convincing this new person to pet it. After all, getting petted felt  _ awesome _ . It closed its eyes happily, pushing its head forward slightly. The small human's hand ran up between his eyes, feeling faint but still quite good. A warbly meow echoed in its throat, telling the new person how good of a job he was doing. The cat opened its eyes slowly, peering at the little person. Hopefully, now that it had roped him in, more scritches were in order.

Sawyer laughed quietly, almost hysterically, amazed that he had his hand on a large cat and it was happy about it. He was practically in control of the thing, and astonishingly not in any danger whatsoever. It was exhilarating. “This is insane,” he whispered, rubbing his hand slowly up and down between the cat’s open eyes. “I’m petting a  _ cat _ .” It was purring contentedly, a sound that rumbled through Sawyer’s chest at such an unbelievably close proximity. “Thanks for not eating me,” he said, patting it on the nose before turning away. “But I really should be getting that cell phone and calling your other human.”

The cat meowed in response to Sawyer's words. It didn't really register them, though. It rarely gave much thought to the sounds the humans made all the time. Still, seeing him turn away got its attention. It stood up, sauntering beside him with a meow. Seeing how quickly it overtook the little human's pace, the cat flopped over again. It stretched a paw towards Sawyer, barely brushing his chest, but hopefully getting the point across. Thinking that maybe he needed extra convincing, the cat blinked its eyes slowly, trying to be as endearing as it could.

Sawyer bit back a yelp as the cat reached for him, blocking his way. Its claws were retracted, but even so he couldn’t help but flinch as its paw tapped him on the chest. Its paw in and of itself was bigger than his chest, by a great deal, which didn’t exactly help his nerves. Obviously it wasn’t going to let him go without a great deal more petting, and he was all too aware that he couldn’t hope to outrun it. The phone would have to wait. “Alright, you damn thing, you’ve given me no choice in the matter,” he grumbled, turning towards it. It looked at him with big eyes, and despite himself he smiled. “You aren’t a monster, are you,” he murmured, stepping up to it and scratching it behind the ear. “You might be big and scary but you’re just a softie, huh?”

Meanwhile, the cat had laid its head on the ground so that Sawyer could reach its ears better. Those tiny hands were perfect for scratching behind its ears. It meowed contentedly in response to his words. This human was alright; he took a little while, but he seemed to be warming up to the cat. The feline heaved a happy sigh, warbling in approval of all the scritches. Its tail flipped back and forth, thumping lightly on the carpet.

Though the thumping of the cat's tail made him jump at first, Sawyer quickly relaxed and smiled again. "You silly thing," he murmured to it, scratching behind both ears now. "Are all cats just as soft inside as you are? Because if so we've been horribly deceived all these years." Nice humans  _ and _ nice cats? The world really was going crazy, at least as far as Sawyer was concerned. He wasn't about to complain though- that craziness had saved him from a terrible fate more than once now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back! :D And Sawyer's in trouble, as per usual. There's no such thing as a quiet morning with this crew. ^^;


	45. Chapter 45

Adrian wasted no time getting the car started once Colfax had settled in the passenger seat. With a glance at Charlie to make sure he was secure, Adrian hit the gas and headed out. It was the second rescue mission he'd be going on in so many weeks. Things were certainly more exciting with the viri around! His brows pinched together a little in his concern. He hoped that the cat hadn't noticed Sawyer yet. It could be playful sometimes; that could only spell trouble for someone Sawyer's height. He knew that Sawyer could handle himself well enough, but Adrian couldn't help the worry that crept up on him. "Should only take about ten minutes to get there..." he murmured, mostly for Charlie's benefit.   
  
Colfax could see that Charlie was still very unsettled by the situation. He wished that he had woken up when Elle came in. He may have been able to avert this whole fiasco before it even started. But he truthfully hadn't noticed her entrance at all, so there was no way he'd have noticed Sawyer getting into the purse. He was hoping that they wouldn't find Sawyer in dire need of his medical expertise. Just one scratch could require stitches on Sawyer. He took a deep breath to stay calm. They'd do what they needed, when they figured out what had happened.   
  
They pulled up to the house and Charlie sucked in a breath, now concerned for himself as well. He wanted to go in with them and help Sawyer however he could, but Adrian's mom was sure to be inside as well. It wouldn't help anything for Charlie to be seen while trying to prevent the same thing for Sawyer. "Wh-what should I do?" he asked quietly, looking up at Colfax and then over at Adrian. "I don't want to wait in the car." Not if he could help it, at least. He couldn't stand waiting around without knowing if Sawyer was okay or not, but how could he get inside unseen?

Adrian paused at Charlie’s question. He didn't particularly want to leave him alone in the car either, since someone could walk by and see him at any point. But, if his mother caught sight of him, it would be tough to explain the whole situation. He glanced down at the jacket he had hurriedly thrown on to go out. It had a deep hidden pocket on the inside, though he knew he had no way to keep it from swaying.   
  
Colfax noticed his look and glanced up at the house. "Do you know where she's likely to be?" he asked. It looked like there might be a light on in the attic, showing out through the single tiny window up there.   
  
"She did say she was going to be cleaning the attic today," Adrian admitted. His gaze slid back to Charlie. "Well, um, I do have a pocket here, if you'd feel safer. I don't want to jostle you, though."   
  
"We should get inside," Colfax suggested, eager to go to Sawyer's aid but restraining the concern in his voice. "If we hear her coming down the stairs, Adrian can hide you."   


"Alright," Charlie said, nodding. "Sounds like a plan." He also wanted to get inside as quickly as possible, but he was glad he wouldn't have to hide right away. Not that Adrian's pocket was the worst place ever, especially since he trusted the human to be careful, but he would still rather be able to look around himself if he could. Colfax's other hand came up to shield him again as they stepped out of the car, and stayed there just in case as they walked into the house. 

The cat twitched one of its ears as if waving off Sawyer's concerns. It nuzzled Sawyer once more, though much less forcefully than the first time. Then, it shifted where it lay, cleaning a paw and applying it to its head. It looked back at the small human and uttered a meow of approval. Then, its purring still going in full force, the cat rolled over on its back again, stretching luxuriously.

Taking that as a sign that he had suitably appeased the beast, Sawyer turned to try once again to get to Elle's cell phone in her purse. Before he could even take a step, however, there was the sound of the front door opening. Stifling a curse he glanced around, realizing it would take too long to get back into the purse. With no other option he dove towards the cat, huddling against it and keeping it between him and the front door. Hopefully it would be enough to keep him suitably hidden.

Adrian cautiously stepped inside, glancing around the front room for signs of his mother. When she didn't come to immediately greet him, he could only assume she was out of earshot. He set his spare key on the front hall table before glancing back at Colfax and Charlie once. Then, he led the way back towards the living room, almost afraid of what he would find there.

The humans entered the well-lit living room, their eyes immediately finding the cat stretched out on the carpet, right next to Elle's purse. The cat looked immensely happy. Colfax watched with wide eyes when it got to its feet, strolling over to Adrian and practically ramming his legs with its shoulders. And there, on the floor, behind where the cat had been lying, was Sawyer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More cat shenanigans. XD I love the contrast between the ridiculous situation Sawyer's in and the mad dash the others are making to try to save his life. Typical.
> 
> (Edit as of Jan. 2021- I did some restructuring and this chapter ended up being weirdly short. Oops!)


	46. Chapter 46

Adrian's mouth opened in a surprised but faintly bemused expression. He felt his heart absolutely pounding. When he saw the cat next to the purse looking so self-satisfied... he had assumed the worst. And then, it turned out that Sawyer had been right behind the fat feline the entire time. Colfax's own expression was one of shock, relief, and a little confusion. The cat seemed not to care one bit that Sawyer was, well, prey-sized. He had known it was friendly, but the scene before him was almost too ridiculous to believe.

The cat moved and Sawyer, who had been leaning on it, almost fell over. He quickly composed himself and scrambled to his feet, ready to dash for cover. Seeing it was just Adrian and Colfax however, and soon noticing Charlie in Colfax's hand, he sighed with relief. "I was just about to call you!" he said, but not before glancing over at the staircase to make sure Elle wasn't coming down to see what was going on. "The damn cat wouldn't let me get to the cell phone.

"The damn cat?!" Charlie exclaimed, leaning over the edge of Colfax's fingers to yell at Sawyer. He was a bit miffed to be honest; here they were, worried to death about Sawyer, and he was on the floor all but snuggled against the cat. "What were you even doing near that thing in the first place? Do you know how hurt you could have gotten?" His anger sprung from deep concern, which made Sawyer start guiltily, but Charlie didn't give him time to explain. "How'd you manage to get so close to it anyways?" It didn't even look like it wanted to catch or hurt Sawyer, a fact which made Charlie both relieved and terribly confused.

Adrian was frozen where he stood for several seconds as Sawyer spoke, and then Charlie began to scold him mercilessly. Finally, when the cat nearly gave itself a concussion ramming into his legs, he knelt to pet its back, earning a pleased meow. Adrian finally found words as the tension left, replaced by relief and bemusement. "I'm glad to see you're okay. He didn't, um, attack you or anything, did he?"

Colfax could see that, aside from being a little shaken, Sawyer was in good health. That was lucky. He could only guess that, after the cat had caught onto his scent, it had pestered Sawyer for attention much like it was now doing for Adrian. Apparently the beast never once made a distinction between viri and humans. All it knew was that something people-shaped could be a cheap source of affection. The contented purrs erupting from the cat only served to confirm his theory.

Maybe he was still a little tired, but the whole situation was just too funny. A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth, and Colfax had to put his free hand over it. Still, he couldn't stop the laughter from starting up within him. It was only for a few seconds, but it was laughter of both humor and relief, more genuine than his usual reserved, dry chuckles. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, when he got under control again. "I shouldn't laugh."

Sawyer couldn't help but crack a smile himself, especially when Charlie looked up, startled by Colfax's sudden laughter. "No, he didn't attack me," he replied, and Charlie sighed with relief. "He seemed to think I was human. Was a bit insistent that I gave him my attention, however. The big idiot wouldn't let me go anywhere." He said it fondly, despite himself starting to feel an affinity for the cat. It had taken a real shining to him, after all. 

"So it just... let you pet it?" said Charlie, still blown away by the whole idea. He was just as confused as Sawyer had been by this sudden shift from expectations. Humans were one thing, but a cat taking a shining to a viri? It was nigh unheard of. "Nothing else?" Sawyer shook his head and Charlie sat back on Colfax's hand, stunned. Either Sawyer was the luckiest person he had ever met, which was likely, or the whole world really was getting turned on its head. Their lives certainly had been ever since getting involved with humans. You couldn't assume anything anymore. 

As if in reply to Charlie's hesitant questions, the cat meowed triumphantly as Adrian continued to stroke its back. Adrian couldn't help but smile himself at the spoiled creature's purrs. "I didn't think he had it in him to hurt Sawyer. The chance at scritches was too good to pass up, wasn't it, kitty-cat?" He scratched the cat behind the ears, making it close its eyes in feline bliss. "Still, you scared us pretty bad," Adrian added, a smile stuck on his face. He was still a little disbelieving that Colfax had full on  _ laughed _ , but, considering the situation... it was kind of amusing.

Colfax knelt slowly, holding out his empty hand for Sawyer. "So here we are to rescue you from the big bad cat," he announced. He kept the hand holding Charlie well above the cat's eye level, but as soon as he knelt it sauntered over to him, demanding tribute. He pet its back a couple times before offering it back to Sawyer. He could see the cat sniffing the air, its eyes fixed on the hand holding Charlie. Glancing between them, he held Charlie a little closer to himself. "Charlie, I don't think it will hurt you, if you'd like a chance to pet it," he said quietly. He figured that if Sawyer smelled like Adrian, Charlie definitely would, and the cat would take a liking to him just the same. But he also remembered the look on the viri's face when the cat had been mentioned.

As the cat walked over to Colfax, Charlie squeaked and ducked behind the human’s fingers, still nervous about the creature despite the evidence that it was harmless. At Colfax’s offer, however, he peered back over to look at the cat. It was looking up at him with wide eyes, looking… happy. Eager, even. “Come on, Charlie,” Sawyer encouraged him. As if to prove there was nothing to be afraid of, Sawyer walked up to the cat and began scratching it behind the ears. The cat closed its eyes and started purring happily, a low, rumbling sound that reverberated through Charlie’s chest even at this distance. Sawyer grinned up at him and Charlie bit his lip, thinking about it.

“Alright,” he acquiesced. “I’ll just pet it a couple of times…” It was a rare opportunity, seeing as this cat seemed to be the one in a hundred that was perfectly safe to interact with. Really, it hadn’t even shown any desire to hurt Sawyer, and it had all the opportunity in the world to do so, so the likelihood it turned out to be dangerous now was all but nonexistent. He was actually very interested in seeing what its fur felt like, it looked so soft. So as Colfax lowered his hand and the cat poked its nose interestedly at him, he took a deep breath, stuck out his hand, and hesitantly brushed across the fur on the feline’s face.

The cat closed its eyes as another tiny hand stroked the fur on its face. A warbling squeak filtered out of its throat, almost drowned out by the happy purring. All of these new folk smelled a lot like its human, so the cat was happy that Adrian had brought them to visit. Clearly it needed more attention, so Adrian had been wise to bring backup.

A smile ghosted across Colfax's face as he watched. Charlie's timid reaction didn't deter the feline in the slightest. He scratched the animal's ears with his free hand. "There's not an aggressive bone in your body, is there?" he murmured.

"Only if he hears the can opener," Adrian mused. "Then he'll mow you down if he has to." And a cat as heavy as this one could certainly come close to tripping up an unaware human. Adrian tilted his head, checking Charlie's expression. "So, has he won you over too?"

Charlie was smiling softly as he pet the cat, amazed at what he was doing. The feline in question had its chin at the edge of his knees, and as Colfax reached over Charlie to scratch the cat’s ears it pushed even closer. This put Charlie practically hugging the cat’s face, and the viri couldn’t help but laugh in wonder. “Yes, I think he has,” he said in reply to Adrian, smiling and looking down into the cat’s big, very close eyes. “You’re odd, did you know that?” he whispered teasingly to the cat, dropping his hands down and scratching it under the chin. “I’m a  _ viri _ , and you’re a  _ cat _ . This isn’t how you’re supposed to react.”

“Good thing it didn’t react normally, or I’d be in trouble,” said Sawyer glibly, still a bit in awe himself. It wasn’t a small cat, either, and here the both of them were close enough to touch it. An idea lit up his eyes and he looked up at Charlie with an expression his friend recognized as a prelude to recklessness. “Hey, do you think I could ride it?” he asked. Charlie gaped at him, but before he could argue otherwise, Sawyer said, “I’m gonna try it.” Charlie stopped petting the cat, unresponsive as it nuzzled him, as he watched Sawyer clamber up the side of the feline. Sawyer grabbed handfuls of fur when he needed a handhold, but never tugged on them roughly, and within moments was sitting triumphantly atop the cat like a cowboy would ride a horse. 

Colfax and Adrian both watched in silence as Sawyer made his way onto the cat's back. The animal didn't seem too bothered, thanks to all of the scritches it had gotten so far. Adrian grinned at Sawyer when he finally perched on the cat's shoulders. "Now this is a sight I never thought I'd see," he said. He glanced over at Colfax and Charlie, sharing in their surprise. "If I didn't know better I'd say you've done this before," Adrian mused as the cat lifted its head away from Charlie and meowed, finally realizing that it had a passenger.

Colfax almost wished he could take a picture. But, he knew that any recorded evidence of the viri, even something as novel as this, would be a bad idea. He watched as the cat turned around in a circle, trying to catch a glimpse of Sawyer. The viri already seemed to have a knack for hanging on. "Just think of how mobile viri would be if all cats were this mild," he quipped. It was surprisingly easy to imagine Sawyer galloping up and down the street on the back of a friendly feline. 

“Oh man, it would be so much easier to get places!” Sawyer agreed, looking up at them with wide eyes. “It would cut my travel time in half, at least.” He reached down and patted the cat’s neck, before muttering, “’Course, I get around everywhere faster now anyways ‘cause a those two, but we would make a good team, huh?” Charlie rolled his eyes at these antics, and Sawyer stuck his tongue out at him in return. “You’re just jealous because I get to ride a  _ cat _ .”

“No, I’m just amazed that you were idiotic enough to try,” Charlie retorted dryly. Though, he had to admit (not to his friend of course), Sawyer was doing a good job. He could stay on it, sure, but Charlie doubted the cat was going to let itself be steered. Much more likely was that Sawyer would just end up wherever the cat wanted to go in the first place.

Sawyer scoffed at that. “Whatever. As if we didn’t already determine he was perfectly harmless.” He patted the cat on the head and the cat yawned widely, sharp teeth exposed for a few moments in front of a gaping maw. Both Sawyer and Charlie froze, spellbound and rather terrified, before it closed its mouth and mewed sleepily. “Whoa,” Sawyer whispered, now slightly wishing he wasn’t on the back of such a beast, friendly or otherwise.

Adrian chuckled faintly, seeing the viri's reactions to the cat yawning and hoping to bring their mood back up. He'd never thought of the fat cat as a particularly fierce creature, but he had to remind himself that its fangs were easily deadly to someone Charlie or Sawyer's size. "Sleepy, eh, kitty-cat? But that's all he does, is sleep. And beg for scritch-" His voice halted abruptly and Adrian looked towards the hall. Despite the cat's rumbling purring, there were definitely footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Adrian? Sweetie, is that you I hear?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and now he's riding it. XD Sawyer's ridiculous, but you can't help but love him. It truly is amazing he was never seen before this, what with the trouble he gets into all the time. ^^;


	47. Chapter 47

Elle's voice galvanized Colfax to move. Before the others had time to react, Colfax's free hand darted up to the cat's back, carefully but swiftly taking Sawyer up in his gentle grasp. He stood at the same time, cupping both viri closer to his chest as he ducked through the archway into the kitchen, just as Adrian's mother rounded the other doorway and stopped in the living room. Adrian stood, a surprised smile plastered on his face, hiding his amazement that a person as big as Colfax could dart out of the way so quickly and silently. "Hi, Mom. You, um, left your compact at my place so I brought it back," he announced, pointing at the purse on the floor.

Colfax stood in the kitchen, his dark eyes a little wider than usual as he caught up with just how close of a call it had been. He glanced down at Charlie and Sawyer, a little guilt on his face. He remembered the day weeks ago when he'd promised Sawyer that he wouldn't grab him again. But, Colfax was also well aware that he'd had very few options. "Sorry," he mouthed silently, his face sliding back to its usual neutral before he cocked his head to listen for anyone approaching.

The two viri had looked up quickly at Elle’s voice, Charlie already backing up slightly into the middle of Colfax’s hand at the sound of footsteps. Neither of them anticipated Colfax’s quick movements, however, especially not Sawyer. A protest died in his throat as he was lifted quickly into the air, Colfax’s hand wrapped solidly around his middle and the quick rise in altitude sending blood rushing to his toes. Thankfully Colfax relaxed his grip as they made it to the kitchen, leaving Sawyer sitting in the middle of a cupped hand. He groaned quietly and clutched his head, causing Charlie to look at him with concern from Colfax’s other hand. “Are you okay?” Charlie whispered, worried about Sawyer having been snatched up so unexpectedly.

“Head rush,” Sawyer mumbled in explanation. He had really picked the wrong morning to be hungover. Given how close they were to being found out by Elle he didn’t blame Colfax for taking action like he had; he just wished it didn’t involve him being moved around so much, or so quickly. It had brought back his headache full force. Charlie made a sympathetic face before moving around in Colfax’s hand to try and catch a glimpse of the door, listening to Adrian’s conversation with his mother and hoping that they wouldn’t be pursued in here as well.

"Oh, honey, you didn't have to drive across town just to bring that back," Elle replied, kneeling to pet the cat on its head when it rubbed against her legs.

Adrian shrugged. "Well, I figured I could hit the grocery store while I was at it." He smiled and glanced briefly at the kitchen archway, amazed with his own luck.  _ Why am I the distraction again? I'd like to see Colfax stammer his way through a fake conversation sometime, _ he thought wryly.

"You could have called, you know," Elle quipped. She stood up and shook a wisp of blond hair out of her eyes with a smile.

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Mom, you said you'd be cleaning the attic." He pointed at her purse again, where her phone could be seen poking out. "You wouldn't have answered."

Elle chuckled. "Yes, I guess you're right. How'd I get such a smart kid?" She'd been asking the same endearing question since he was twelve.

Adrian rolled his ice blue eyes. "Just lucky, I guess," he replied, giving her the same answer he always did.

In the kitchen, Colfax smirked faintly, pleased that his attempt to hide had been a success. He turned his gaze back to Sawyer, letting himself fret over the viri's condition now that he was certain Elle didn't suspect a thing. After all, she'd heard Adrian speaking to the cat, not to the people currently stowing away in her kitchen. "Are you feeling sick?" he whispered, keeping as quiet as he could as he surreptitiously moved towards the other kitchen doorway. The last thing anyone needed was for Sawyer's stomach to rebel in this crucial moment.

“No,” Sawyer grunted, lying down on Colfax’s hand theatrically. “Just got a major headache s’all.” He squeezed his eyes shut and Charlie snickered at his dramatics. Without opening his eyes Sawyer flipped him off, eliciting an immediate “Hey!” as he grinned. He couldn’t see it, but he knew Charlie was pouting over there. That would teach him to make fun of people who were too hungover for their own good.

After shaking his head at Sawyer’s rudeness, and making a mental note to get him back for it somehow later, Charlie looked up at Colfax. “What are we going to do?” he asked, a bit worried about their predicament still. Adrian and his mom were so close to the front door he doubted they could get out that way. Then again, Colfax probably knew the layout of the house pretty well, so with any luck he’d know a way to sneak them out to the car without Elle noticing.

Colfax was leaning towards the other door, trying to peer out to the hallway beyond. Their only real options were the front door or the big sliding doors in the living room. Both were in clear view of the owner of the house. "We're going to sit tight just a little longer," Colfax replied, offering Charlie a faint smile to reassure him.

Elle smiled warmly at her son, looking so grown up. If his hair were a little darker, he'd look just like the man in the portrait displayed on the wide chest of drawers. "Very lucky," she remarked. "Feeling a little better after your rough start? Want me to make you anything?" She almost started for the kitchen.

"No! Ah, that is, I had some toast and that's really all I can handle right now," Adrian answered with a sheepish smile.

Elle smirked knowingly. "You should know better, sweetie! And Colfax, the poor thing, he was out like a light, wasn't he? He feeling better?"

Adrian nodded, blinking rapidly to calm his pounding heart. His mother had very nearly swept right past him into the kitchen, where he could only assume Colfax still hid. "Yeah, he had quite a bit. He was just starting to smell the coffee when I took off."

Elle chuckled. "Well, he deserves to have a little fun. That kid works way too hard." She clucked her tongue and shook her head. Then, her face brightened and she asked, "Oh, want to come up to your room? I've put together a box of some of your things that you forgot."

_ Bingo, _ Colfax thought, as Adrian stammered out a reply in the affirmative. That meant they'd be going upstairs, leaving the exit open for him to make an escape.

Charlie listened carefully as Adrian and Elle made their way up the stairs, relieved that they were going to manage to leave without an encounter (however indirect). Adrian was doing a great job covering for them, however nervous it made him, and Charlie resolved to thank him for it later. Certainly without quick thinking on both his and Colfax’s part they’d be in the midst of a crisis at the moment. Thinking about that, he began to wonder how Sawyer had even managed to get into this kind of situation, and turning to his friend he whispered, “Sawyer? How did you wind up in Adrian’s mom’s purse in the first place?”

Sawyer sat up and looked over at him, looking slightly abashed. Not overly so, as it took a great deal to embarrass Sawyer properly, but certainly enough that Charlie already knew the answer involved him being a careless idiot. “I, ah, wasn’t really lookin’ where I was goin’ this morning,” he quietly replied. “Fell in and she left with it before I could get out.” Charlie sighed and shook his head slightly at such a predictable outcome. Trust Sawyer to do something slightly scatterbrained and somehow end up halfway across town in the company of a cat and Adrian’s mother. It was truly a miracle, in Charlie’s opinion, that Sawyer was never seen by a human before Colfax; he had such a penchant for getting into these kinds of situations.

Colfax allowed himself to chuckle quietly at Sawyer's sheepish explanation. He did see a little of himself in the tale, though; before having his morning coffee, Colfax might even wander into traffic. That was the price he paid for staying up well into the night all the time. There was work to be done.

"Lucky," he muttered before tiptoeing back to the living room. He glanced over to the cat, which had curled up on the couch again and blinked contentedly at him. As Adrian and Elle's conversation faded up the stairs, Colfax deftly made his way to the front door. He let Sawyer transfer to his other hand to join Charlie before exiting the house. He let out a sigh of relief as he paused on the porch. He glanced down at the two viri on his hand, shielded from view by his other hand.

"One of these days you guys are going to give Adrian a heart attack," he mused quietly. And, though it wasn't evident in his face, Colfax's voice betrayed his own sheer relief at how well things had just gone.

“One of these days  _ I’m _ going to have a heart attack,” Charlie muttered in return. Naturally predisposed to worrying as he was, the last few weeks hadn’t been the easiest on him. He felt as if he’d been in and out of hot water ever since meeting a human for the first time. “It’s not like we ask for all this nonsense to happen to us.” He frowned over at Sawyer. “Trouble just seems to find us.” That or they tripped into trouble, quite literally in most cases, but he wasn’t about to mention that.

“Aw, s’not that bad,” Sawyer said, crossing his legs and giving Charlie a grin. “We’re fine, ain’t we? ‘Sides your leg, of course, but that’s getting better.”

Charlie’s frown deepened as Colfax got into the car. “Sawyer, you ended up with a  _ cat _ ,” he said, in the kind of tone that suggested he was explaining something sensible for the hundredth time. “It’s a miracle nothing bad happened here.”

Colfax watched the conversation playing out in his lowered hands while he waited for Adrian to come out. Since the situation was already over and done with, he couldn't make himself worry about it nearly as much. Sure, he thought that Sawyer had been in incredible danger before they arrived to find him alive and well. But now, armed with all the facts, Colfax felt quite in control of his worries once again. He did not, however, have any idea of what to say to Charlie to help him feel better. He doubted that they really expected him to be super comforting, but the viri was right.

Being around humans was dangerous for people their size. And even despite the bad luck that had befallen them, things were still working out. "Call it luck or a miracle, the result is the same," he finally muttered, keeping his voice down for their benefit. "We'll go back to Adrian's and there will be coffee." His lips quirked in the faintest of amused smiles. "Believe me, this is not the worst morning after a night of heavy drinking possible."

Adrian was glad that he'd gone up to his old room when his mother asked. True to her word, she had gathered a tidy box of some of his things, including some of his framed photos and a few forgotten art supplies. As he headed down the stairs with the box in his arms, she slipped past him to go into the kitchen. Adrian waited with bated breath, but heard no exclamation; so the others had made it out okay.

"Here, sweetie, some canned veggies. You need to get your pantry filled up." Elle told him, adding the foodstuffs to his box while he waited by the door.

"Mom, I'm not gonna starve over there," he answered with a smile.

"I know that, but still! You never know when you'll need to make a quick casserole!" she answered, giving him a very brief peck on the cheek. "Thanks for coming by, Adrian. I'll give you a call sometime this week, okay?"

"Yeah, Mom," Adrian answered as she opened the door for him. "Thanks," he called over his shoulder as he walked towards the car.  _ I can't believe that worked. How did that actually go so well? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, another close call there! They can't do anything without trouble finding them- though, granted, staying in the middle of the living room playing with the cat wasn't the sneakiest thing to be doing. ^^; It's a good thing they're lucky.


	48. Chapter 48

Colfax ducked down a bit as Elle showed Adrian out the door and instinctively the viri did as well, though there was no way she would be able to see them from the porch. They straightened up again as Adrian got into the car, setting his box of things in the back before sliding into the driver’s seat. “Thanks for covering for us back there,” Charlie piped up, giving him a grateful smile. “That was some quick thinking on your part, she didn’t seem to suspect a thing.” Luckily for them- the last thing they needed was yet another human aware of them, even someone as sweet as Adrian’s mom. 

“Yeah, thanks,” Sawyer agreed. Yawning widely he slumped over the edge of Colfax’s fingers and said, “God, I can’t wait to go home and get a cup of coffee. I ain’t even been up for an hour and I’ve already been dragged through my fair share of trouble.” Charlie gave him a look that plainly said “Now whose fault is that?” but he just rolled his eyes and ignored it. Just because he was right didn’t mean Sawyer had to give him the satisfaction of saying so.

Adrian smiled as he started the car up. "Well, she says I don't visit her at the house enough anymore, so I'm sure she would have accepted almost any excuse," he replied. "I'm glad you made it out without any trouble," he added, glancing over at Colfax. His friend still looked a little tired from his abrupt waking that morning. All the excitement couldn't cover up such a monster hangover, as Sawyer so dramatically illustrated.

"You've earned some coffee after staring down the great beast," Colfax quipped. Though the cat was technically a predator and a danger, it was very hard to imagine it being “beastly” in any sense. The only danger Sawyer would really have been in was from the cat lying down on top of him by mistake.

After a few moments of driving, Adrian suddenly grinned. "You gonna write about this in your book, Charlie? You might be the first two viri in a long time that got to pet a cat."

“Of course,” Charlie replied. “I write everything in there, especially the more unusual bits.” Of which there were quite a lot, given their experiences. More to himself he added quietly, “Of course, nobody’s ever going to read it. If they do they’ll think we’re insane.” Not only because of the cat either; their absolute fraternization with humans was the part of his recent life that he least wanted to put down in writing. 

He did anyways – everything needed to be recorded, after all – but his only consolation was that nobody would probably read it until after he was gone. Despite his friendship with Adrian and Colfax (which he in no way regretted), actions so contrary to the Code were not ones he was eager to share with other viri. He dreaded having to write the next email he sent to his family; having access to Adrian’s computer and phone now he really should have sent one a while ago, but he still couldn’t bring himself to write them and mostly lie about what he had been up to.

Sawyer had already sent a couple off to his dad, omitting the human parts of course, but he had less to lie about than Charlie did. He also didn’t feel nearly as guilty about going against the Code (though that is not to say he didn’t feel any disquiet at all); his opinion was that circumstances had given them very little choice in the matter, so they might as well make the best of it. Once they were no longer forced to be in the humans’ company… well, they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

Adrian nodded, keeping his eyes on the road as he drove. It really was a crazy coincidence that Sawyer had somehow happened to get into his mother's purse, only to be carried across town. Tie it all up with the  _ existence _ of the cat and they had a very uncanny series of events. Adrian couldn't help but wonder what Sawyer would be doing today if Charlie had never been caught in that trap. He certainly wouldn't be in as much danger as he'd just been.

Colfax watched out the window without really seeing. His hands remained steady for the small beings he held. He felt the gentle weight, almost nonexistent, and marveled for a moment that he was actually holding two tiny people in his palm. As Adrian finally pulled up at the apartment complex and they all made their way back up, Colfax carrying the viri and Adrian carrying his box, Colfax felt the headache creeping back up. Now that the urgency of the situation had died down for certain, his brain decided to bark at him about the amount of whiskey he'd consumed.

"I'm going to make more coffee," Colfax announced softly as he lowered his hands to the viri’s porch on Adrian's shelf.

“Grab me a cup?” Sawyer asked Colfax as they disembarked, sitting on the edge of the porch like they usually did. Charlie nodded eagerly as well, thinking that a cup of hot, dark coffee sounded fantastic. It had been a pretty hectic morning for two hungover viri, and they were looking forward to spending an uneventful day at home. Coffee, and rest, were the two things that sounded necessary at the moment. Sawyer laid on his back and sighed, rubbing his face wearily. He had a headache, and was more than a little exhausted, but on the other hand the morning had been exciting. At the very least he could now cross “riding a cat” off of his bucket list, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t think that was the coolest thing ever.

Adrian set his box in the middle of the floor, sitting to sift through the contents. "Jeez, and it feels like I just got everything organized," he commented.

“I’m sure you’ll be able to find a place for everything quickly, Adrian,” Charlie said encouragingly, giving the human a smile. If anybody could keep things organized it was Adrian; he was even more meticulous than Charlie. The viri often thought that if they hadn’t met the first day Adrian moved in, he would have been hard pressed to take the things he needed and stay unnoticed. Who knows- he might have actually  _ moved _ if Adrian proved too orderly to live with. What an odd thing to consider, given how inextricably their lives were entwined now. Pushing such thoughts from his head, Charlie fetched his family history book and began chronicling the events of the night before and that morning, trying to be honest even as he wrote down the more, er,  _ embarrassing _ aspects of his foray into drinking.

Already Adrian was finding a place for some of the supplies his mother had found. Some of them being missing had really bugged him, but now he appeared to have everything. All this time, he had assumed that some jerk at the dorms in college had walked off with his stuff. "Oh, wow, Mom packed some of my old sketchbooks," he mused, holding up a worn out pocket-sized book that had certainly seen better days. "From when I thought I was going to major in art."

"Those were fun times," Colfax cut in, returning with a steaming coffee mug in one hand and two tiny cups of fresh brew on his other palm. He remained steady as he knelt to offer the drinks to Charlie and Sawyer, inwardly very pleased with himself for not dropping them. "You wouldn't believe some of the rants this guy had about his classmates in the art program," Colfax added, not bothering to hide the smirk in his voice.

"Well...!" Adrian tried to come up with a protest. But, it was true, he hadn't much cared for his fellow art students. They were often far too... touchy-feely. He almost shuddered to think about it. "That's why I switched, and architecture is way more fun anyway," he finally said defensively.

Charlie and Sawyer both looked up at the mention of Adrian’s sketchbook, their interests thoroughly piqued by the idea. “Can you show us some of your drawings, Adrian?” Charlie asked, setting aside his annals. “I would love to see them.” Adrian was a very creative person, and Charlie was certain that his artistic talents were worth seeing. He had switched to architecture because of the people, after all, not the art itself or due to a lack of talent.

“Yeah, I’m sure they’re great!” Sawyer enthusiastically agreed. “Come on, let us take a look!” They looked up at him expectantly, Sawyer swinging his feet happily over the edge of the porch. Charlie hoped they weren’t embarrassing Adrian by putting him on the spot like that, but they really wanted to see what was in that sketchbook.

Adrian paused, the pocket sketchbook still in his hand. He smiled sheepishly at the interest in the tiny eyes focused on him. "Yeah, sure," he finally answered. He indicated the book in his hand. "This was just my book for on-the-go sketches." He held it out for Charlie to take; it would be like a book full of posters, but he was fairly confident that the viri could manage it just fine. The drawings were mostly sketches of scenery and buildings on the campus, hinting at his later move to architecture. One of the few exceptions was a drawing of Colfax, surrounded by textbooks and leaning over on his elbow heavily, unaware that his dozing off was being immortalized.

The subject of said sketch sat on the floor and leaned against the couch. Colfax stretched his long legs in front of him while he sipped his coffee, grateful for its quick-acting effects. Already his headache was receding. He eyed one of the much larger sketchbooks still in the box, knowing that it was completely filled with drawings and designs and reference photos taped in. "What was it that finally made you switch, Adrian?" he asked with a faint smirk, remembering the day it had happened; Adrian had come to find him in the lab to complain about it.

"God," Adrian began, rolling his eyes at the memory. "Okay, so I had this painting professor that was super friendly all the time, the kind to put a hand on your shoulder to point out his critiques. But one class he honestly wanted us to try this exercise where we held a classmate's hand and guided it while they dealt with the brush strokes. I couldn't even- I walked out." He shook his head. As far as Adrian was concerned, he'd dodged a bullet there. Even with Colfax snickering faintly at his exasperated expression, Adrian was quite happy with the decision. Architects didn't have this compulsion to get into his personal space all the time.

Charlie took the sketchbook and with Sawyer’s help balanced it between them, each of them taking the edge of a cover and holding up their end. As Adrian told his story they flipped through the sketches, eyes widening slightly in appreciation of how good they were. Charlie made a sympathetic face at the end of Adrian’s tale, and was about to say something reassuring when Sawyer snorted with laughter. Looking down Charlie saw it was the sketch of Colfax, and even he couldn’t help but smile. “All personal boundaries aside,” Sawyer said, “you really have a penchant for art Adrian.” He grinned up at the two of them. “The way you capture reality is uncanny.” He’d seen Colfax dozing in the exact same fashion before, too many times to count. The human wasn’t always as aware (or awake) as he would like to claim he was.

Adrian chuckled faintly, his cheeks reddening slightly under the praise. "Thanks, guys," he answered sheepishly. "I've had a lot of practice." In order to avoid hovering while they perused the rest of the sketches, Adrian returned to putting away the rest of the items in the box. He set some photo frames on a higher shelf before retrieving some of the canned food his mother had insisted he take. "Be right back," he announced before heading into the kitchen to put the cans away.

Colfax smirked faintly, inclining his head to peer over the edge of the book. He remembered the drawing well enough, or at least he remembered being surprised that he'd dozed off long enough for Adrian to draw him. And, now that he knew Sawyer had lived with him all this time, he wondered how often he'd fallen asleep at his desk and had the viri walk right in front of his eyes. He didn't doubt for a second that Sawyer would be bold enough to do that.

Colfax was secretly pleased that both of the viri, though still tired, looked fairly relaxed. "How's the coffee?" he asked. "Feeling better?"

“Much,” replied Sawyer, setting his empty cup down on the shelf next to him. They had finished perusing all of Adrian’s sketches, so with Sawyer’s help Charlie folded up the small book once more, sliding it onto the floor beneath them. “Never thought so much could happen in one morning, but boy did I get proved wrong.” Even Charlie couldn’t help but chuckle at that, and Sawyer gave him a grin. “Guess it’s just my luck, huh?”

“ _ Our _ luck you mean,” Charlie corrected, still sipping on his own cup of coffee. “As I recall you were hardly in the danger we all thought you were. I nearly had a heart attack while you were off playing with that… cat.” It was hard to believe it had actually happened- if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, forget actually touching the cat himself, he would write it off as mere fantasy. Whatever future readers got ahold of his annals would almost certainly do the same. That is, if they were even believing his tales up until then; their luck indeed, getting carted off and encountering a cat was almost negligible compared to what they had been through before.

Adrian came back just in time to hear Charlie's comment. "I was pretty worried, too... It's a pretty crazy coincidence that you ended up in Mom's purse." He knelt to retrieve the small sketchbook and put it up on a higher shelf. Once he put away the others, the box was empty. It brought a faint smile to his face to have everything put in its proper place once more.

"Your luck is very intriguing," Colfax mused. Sure, on one hand, it was decidedly  _ rotten _ luck to get carried across town with an unknown human. If Elle had figured out he was there, things could have been disastrous. But, she never once even suspected that Sawyer was there. Colfax didn't need to exchange a glance with Adrian to know that his friend thought the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back home safe and sound at last! Plus a little peek into Adrian's past as an art student. :D As always, thanks for reading!


	49. Chapter 49

"Oh, now that you've had coffee, need anything else? You're not too hungover still, are you?" Adrian asked. He knew that, headache or not, sometimes the morning after a night of drinking left a completely wretched feeling in the stomach. "I can make some breakfast or... lunch, I guess."

Charlie smiled up at Adrian, grateful that no matter what madness seemed to happen in their lives, he was always there to make sure everybody felt normal. Which was nothing short of amazing, given the circumstances. “Lunch sounds fantastic, thank you Adrian,” he said, and Sawyer nodded enthusiastically. Nothing like a good old fashioned adventure in the morning to spark an appetite. Neither of them were too hungover either, their headaches having faded after some rest and coffee. With a sigh Charlie got to his feet, waving away Sawyer’s offer of help and sticking his crutch under his arm. “I’m going to go take a shower first though,” he announced, turning back to the house with a yawn. Adrian had rigged up running water for them, which was an absolute godsend. Mostly muttering to himself now Charlie added, “I feel gross,” and disappeared inside the house.

Sawyer kicked his feet out over the edge of the porch, thinking that a shower didn’t sound like the worst thing in the world. Maybe after lunch he would take one as well. Looking down at his legs, and thinking about Charlie’s, he piped up, “Do you think Charlie’s leg will be better soon?” This question was mostly aimed at Colfax, or course, as he was the expert on the matter. “It’s been about three weeks, and he’s walking on that cast pretty well on his own.” Part of him wanted to hear good news – after all, Charlie having use of both his legs was a good thing – but part of him wished Charlie’s leg would be in the process of healing for forever. Then they could delay the inevitable decision facing the two viri- should they stay, or go?

Adrian paused on his way out of the room to watch Colfax consider the question. He had nearly lost track of the time. But, now that he thought about it, it _had_ been nearly three weeks since the day he had caught Charlie in that stupid trap. Things had been crazy, of course, but after a few weeks of having the viri around, it felt normal. Adrian couldn't help but wonder what he'd be like right now if he hadn't met Charlie. Even so, he perked up a little to see Colfax raise a thoughtful eyebrow.

"You're correct," Colfax answered. He'd been keeping track of Charlie's progress when he could. Where at first the viri had been tentative with his steps, even on the crutch, now he hobbled along like it was nothing to him. It was highly likely that the bone had done most if not all of the healing it needed. "Perhaps soon we should open up the cast to check," Colfax suggested, though he knew that process could be frightening by itself. The only way to do it was to cut the cast off, and though Colfax was confident in his ability to do it, he knew there was no way to make it seem like a tame process.

Adrian smiled faintly to think about it. "It'd be great to see him walking around on his own," he added in. Though Charlie had been a very good sport for the most part, Adrian couldn't help but think the little guy would feel much better to have his mobility back in full. "I'll be right back," he muttered, continuing into the kitchen to put lunch together. He was looking forward to seeing Charlie's reaction to the idea.

“Yeah,” Sawyer said quietly. “It would.” He stared at nothing in particular, his eyes unfocused as he thought about it. Charlie walking on his own, the full mobility of a viri back again; and the full responsibilities of one as well. They needed to have a talk, and soon. This life with the two humans, however normal it had become for them, was still a situation they would have to face at some point. As viri it was their duty, once able, to look at the facts and do whatever the right thing to do was; through, granted, Sawyer felt no amount of certainty in that area. Their circumstances here were rather complicated to say the least. Even he couldn’t believe it sometimes. 

He was brought back from his pensive mood as he realized the shower was no longer running. “I’ll be right back,” he told Colfax with a brief smile, before disappearing into the house as well. Charlie was standing in his bedroom, hair wet but clean and new clothes put on. He looked up as Sawyer walked down the hall and gave him a smile. “I’m gonna pop in the shower too real quick,” Sawyer told him, and Charlie nodded. He hesitated at the doorway, before adding. “You know, Colfax thinks your leg might be healed enough now to take the cast off and check on it.” Before Charlie could say anything to that he vanished into the bathroom, leaving Charlie to think that through.

Colfax sat in the silent room, pensively staring straight ahead. He was relaxed, though his thoughts were quite active. The implications of Charlie's healthy recovery were not lost on the human. There was a strong chance that, once the viri no longer needed help, they would disappear into the walls forever. Both Sawyer and Charlie might move away, and after the scares they had experienced, Colfax could hardly blame them for taking that option.

The many missed opportunities that would disappear with them stuck out in his mind, of course. And, frankly, Colfax was used to friends coming and going thanks to his abrasive personality. He'd never say it out loud, but the human had taken a liking to the little guys. Despite his really awful first impression, they both trusted him enough to literally place their safety in his hands. He idly drummed his fingers on the floor, pushing his concerns aside.

In the kitchen, Adrian was preoccupied with his own heavy thoughts. He prepared sandwiches for himself, Colfax, and for the two viri. His hands were practiced and he had grown accustomed to setting aside portions that made sense for the smaller people. _Will I be making food like this a week from now?_ he asked himself. The thought made him pause for several seconds. Adrian didn't make a lot of close friends, and he had almost taken Charlie and Sawyer for granted.

But, he had promised those many weeks ago that he wasn't going to try to keep Charlie from going back to his life once he was healed. Adrian would never consider breaking a promise like that. He shrugged at himself, as if making up his mind. He would just have to make sure his small friends were comfortable and happy until the moment they made their decision. He picked up the serving plate and carried it back into the living room, easily putting his smile back on. "Food's ready," he announced to the room.

“Wonderful, thank you Adrian,” Charlie said, having come out from the house once more. He sat on the porch, his hair still messy and wet from the shower, and smiled softly up at him. They really had become such good friends after all this time, despite the circumstances… he glanced down at the floor, not wanting to get into such thoughts at the moment. Seeing the cast on his leg, which had gotten rather dirty and scuffed over time but which still sported the drawings he and Sawyer had made on it, he remembered what his friend had just told him. Looking up at Colfax he asked, “Do you really think my leg might be healed? Completely?” After so long being in the cast he was rather used to it- it would be odd to be out of it. Good, if he really was fully returned to the mobility he had before, but odd.

Back to what he had before… no matter how much his leg healed, things could never go back to what they were before. Too much had changed. He didn’t think he could ever live amongst humans again the same way, regardless of what he and Sawyer decided to do. He’d met Adrian; hell, he’d met Felicia. Apparently humans and viri were not so different as people thought- for better or worse. Knowing that, he couldn’t just go back to being an invisible presence in the walls. It simply wouldn’t work. Not to mention the relationships he had somehow forged with Adrian and Colfax… and there was Sawyer to consider as well… he shook his head slightly, forcing himself to focus on Colfax’s reply. Now was not the time to be thinking through all of this. He and Sawyer could talk tonight; when their human friends weren’t so involved.

Adrian lowered the food tray to the shelf, with two viri-sized sandwiches prepared right at the edge. But, though he was careful to make sure Charlie could reach without crowding him, Adrian also kept Colfax in his focus. He smiled faintly to see Colfax nod once.

"I think it is worth opening the cast to check," Colfax replied, his eyes drifting over the slightly scuffed fiberglass wrapped around Charlie's leg. Charlie had done well to take care of his injury; even some humans didn't treat their casts with such care. He tilted his head as if considering how it would be done, though he knew exactly what needed to happen. "If you want to try it out, we can cut the cast off to check the site of the break."

Adrian smiled a little wider, encouraged by the news. He looked back at Charlie, hoping to see his reaction. "Wow, Charlie! It'd be awesome if you could get back on your own feet again," he commented. Though, truth be told, Adrian had never seen Charlie walking on his own, unhindered before. He'd only ever known the viri with a broken leg. "I bet you'll feel good as new to get that cast off."

Charlie took a sandwich from the plate Adrian had set down, taking a bite and chewing it thoughtfully as they talked. Adrian seemed enthusiastic, and he really would be excited to have normal mobility again, but Colfax’s words concerned him. He looked down at his cast with a frown- to be honest he had never given much thought to how they would ever get it off. Cutting it off, however logical an idea, sounded… scary. “Cutting the cast off,” he repeated, “That… how exactly is that done?” All he could imagine was Colfax with a large knife, and while he trusted the human much more than he had when the cast went on, it was still a rather disquieting image. Regardless of who was doing it, cutting something so close to his actual leg sounded awfully risky.

As he spoke Sawyer walked out of the house behind him, hair wet and spiked from his own recent shower. “Aw, sweet, sandwiches,” he muttered, walking behind Charlie to take one from the plate. Sitting down on the other side of his friend he swung his legs over the edge of the porch, eyes trained on Colfax as he started eating.

Colfax raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly. Suddenly he had an audience. Sure, it was an audience of only three people, but it was an odd feeling nonetheless. If he wasn't confident in his own knowledge, he might also experience the novel feeling of being nervous. But, he tried to come up with a way to explain it in a way that wouldn't be alarming. _That_ was difficult. "For such a small cast... I would need to cut a seam into the fiberglass. From there it can be, ah, pried open without damaging anything inside," he explained slowly.

"It's pretty simple," Adrian supplied, trying to think of his own experience having a cast removed. His had been on an arm, but he doubted it was that different. "The stuff is hard but it's brittle, so Colfax only needs to get a cut started in it, and it'll kind of just break off." He glanced over at Colfax for confirmation and got a nod that he was right.

"Sawyer should be able to help once the cut is made," Colfax suggested. Though, truth be told, it was probably more safe in the long run for someone with smaller hands to be trying to pry the cast open.

Well, that at least sounded better than what Charlie had been imagining. So, though he was still rather nervous about the whole thing, he nodded and said, “That sounds… good, I suppose. A simple prospect at least.” He bit his lip slightly as he thought through it. Colfax was a professional, and with the amazing job he had done to get the cast on in the first place Charlie didn’t doubt that he could get the cast off just fine. If anybody could cut something like that without hurting the comparatively small limb beneath it, it was Colfax; and he did say Sawyer could help with most of it. Looking up and around at everybody Charlie asked, “So, er, do we want to do that today?” Gathering his courage, he flushed slightly and added in a smaller voice, “Soon?”

“Yeah!” Sawyer said enthusiastically, sounding full of the confidence that Charlie was trying to find. “Let’s do it!” he glanced around at everybody with a bright grin. He was practically beaming. He knew Charlie just needed to get it over with, and that his friend would feel really excited to be back on his own two feet again. Decision to make or not, the sooner he was at full viri capacity the better; it just wasn’t good for one’s mental health to be so dependent on others all the time. Sawyer would have gone crazy. Luckily Charlie was pretty laid back and had become fairly accustomed to it, but even so he had to be dying to get that bulky cast off. It would mean he could walk without a crutch again, climb again, actually go back home again. All sorts of things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Charlie's leg may finally be fully healed! It only took the whole story so far. ^^; Of course, getting back to full health comes with its own consequences...


	50. Chapter 50

Colfax shifted where he sat, leaning forward slightly. He noted Charlie's lingering nervousness about the process, and wished he knew what to say to dispel some of his worries. Luckily, it seemed Adrian knew exactly what to say in these kinds of situations. He glanced over at his friend, awaiting the encouraging words that Colfax didn't really know how to put together.

"You'll hardly even feel it," Adrian announced with a smile. He was egged on by Sawyer's enthusiasm. He was actually quite relieved that soon, Charlie would be whole again. Ever since he'd found him in that cabinet, crying out in agony and trying pitifully to crawl away, Adrian had hoped for this moment. "We should move to the kitchen so there's better lighting, don't you think?"

Colfax nodded. He slowly reached down to offer a steady hand. "I expect you'll be in excellent shape by the end of it," he told them, allowing himself to sound just a little proud. After all, he was probably one of, if not  _ the _ first human to have successfully treated a viri. Even without the strict study plan he might have carried out if he hadn't come to his senses, Colfax had learned a lot from them.

“Alright,” Charlie said, still feeling nervous but beginning to get excited about it despite himself. He climbed onto Colfax’s hand without trouble, Sawyer quickly joining him. Glancing down at his crutch, which was lying on the edge of the porch, he smiled slightly. “I guess I won’t need that, huh?” he mused aloud, marveling at the idea of it. In a few minutes even, he might be able to walk without its aid. No cast, no crutch, just his own two legs. He really hoped that his bone was fully healed- this was going to be sorely disappointing if it wasn’t, not to mention a bit problematic. He had been getting around so easily, though, that he doubted his leg was that far from fixed. A bit weak, perhaps, but healed.

“Nope!” Sawyer cheerfully replied to his rhetorical question. “We can leave it there. No more crutches for you!” His enthusiasm was infectious, and Charlie found himself returning Sawyer’s grin. Sawyer nudged his shoulder and Charlie shoved him back with a laugh (not enough to put him in danger of falling off Colfax’s hand, of course, but enough to elicit a joking protest from Sawyer as he sprawled back on the human’s palm dramatically). “This is gonna be great Charlie,” he said, smiling up at his friend. “To have you back. Really great.”

While Colfax carried Charlie and Sawyer to the kitchen table (which was, of course, spotless), Adrian went to retrieve Colfax's bag. The heavy thing was laden with a computer, a textbook, and some notepapers. But, it also had Colfax's medical supply kit crammed awkwardly between all of his other work. "Jeez, Colfax. The fact that you carry all of this around on your shoulders everyday boggles me," he quipped as he set the heavy thing down on one end of the table.

Colfax let the viri down in front of one of the chairs before smirking faintly. "Gotta stay fit somehow," he muttered in reply. But there really wasn't any call for sarcasm at the moment. Already Colfax had slipped into his neutral, all-business demeanor. He couldn't really afford to mess this one up. He fished his supply kit out of the bag and set it carefully down near him, flipping it open to seek out what he needed.

Adrian saw Colfax pause with one hand still in the plastic box. He glanced inside to see that his fingers had closed around a small but very sharp-looking knife. Of course it would be the only way to make the cut in the cast, but Adrian was impressed that Colfax was actually pausing instead of just bringing that out in the open. "Good thing you have really steady hands," Adrian pointed out encouragingly.

Colfax was really grateful to have Adrian around as a buffer between his stoicism and Charlie's nerves. "Indeed," he replied, finally revealing the blade and setting it delicately on the table. "This instrument is very sharp. Just like when the cast went on, I will need you to lie still, Charlie. I won't let it cut your skin."

Charlie had been staring at the knife nervously- it was smaller than he expected, but just as sharp, and the thought of it coming so close to his leg sent a thrill of apprehension through him. He trusted Colfax, however, and the human’s promise was enough for him. So, with a small nod, he looked up at Colfax and tried to crack a smile. “Don’t worry,” he said somewhat jokingly, though his nerves could be heard by everybody, “I don’t plan on moving anytime soon.” He was already seated with his casted leg stretched out in front of him, the other one tucked neatly underneath. Sawyer was hovering beside him, still standing so that he could move out of Colfax’s way, but ready to jump in and help should he be needed.

Leaning over to Charlie, Sawyer whispered, “It’ll be alright, bud. No worries.” Charlie gave him a grateful smile and Sawyer patted him gently on the shoulder, almost as nervous as his friend now that the procedure was at hand. Excited as well, of course, but nervous nonetheless. Sawyer stepped back a few inches to make sure Colfax had enough room to move before stopping. He shifted in place, biting his lip as he stared at Charlie. His friend had been through so much already, he hoped this wasn’t about to become one thing more. Colfax was amazing at what he did, however, and Sawyer had faith in him. So he looked up at the human as well, preparing himself for what was to come.

Colfax nodded. Not one to let things draw out, he picked up the knife again to get ready. Adjusting his chair slightly, the human leaned in a little closer to be able to see. He was so focused that he didn't even notice when Adrian carefully sat down in the adjacent chair, blue eyes fixed on Charlie's casted leg. Colfax slowly placed his thumb and first finger on either end of the cast to hold it in place, before moving in with the sharp knife.

Adrian felt like the whole room held its breath. All was silent except for a faint scraping noise as Colfax delicately drew the knife down the tough material of Charlie's cast. He could only imagine what that sounded (and looked) like from Charlie's view. Colfax made one line, and then returned the knife to the top to deepen the cut slightly. The process took a few minutes, with the skilled surgical hands moving slowly to avoid putting too much pressure on the tiny limb.

The viri held their breath as the knife approached Charlie’s leg. Charlie stayed completely still, not daring to move a muscle as the scalpel made its way down the cast once, then again and again. His heart palpitated anxiously against his chest, and his knuckles were white on hands clenched into fists, but true to his word Colfax never once cut the skin beneath the cast. Charlie didn’t even think he cut the soft bandages that were wrapped underneath the hard outer shell. Once he had made a deep, wide cut in the cast Colfax sat back, and Charlie let out a small sigh of relief as the knife was set aside.

"Is it... is it ready?" Adrian asked tentatively when Colfax leaned back once more, setting his scalpel aside. Colfax didn't answer him, but he glanced over at Sawyer and gave him a nod. There was no question that the seam he'd carved into the cast would be wide enough for the viri's tiny fingers to pry it open. He still hadn't relaxed; as far as Colfax was concerned, they weren't out of the woods until Charlie was standing by himself.

After a nod from Colfax, Sawyer immediately stepped forward, sitting down on his knees in front of Charlie’s leg. Delicately placing his fingers into the newly created crack, Sawyer braced himself and pulled it apart. The cut immediately widened, and after a few moments of exertion the cast crackled loudly and split open, heralded by a grunt from Sawyer and a small squeak of surprise from Charlie. Sawyer sat back on his heels, breathing a bit heavier now but grinning at Charlie. The viri in question was just staring down at his newly exposed limb, still wrapped in white bandages. The air felt cool against it, sending a shiver up his spine, and as he reached down to touch it he marveled at a sensation he hadn’t been able to feel for the last three weeks.

Adrian couldn't help but lean in a little closer to peer at Charlie's leg. He could remember the last time he'd seen it, how it had been so swollen and bruised. Now, wrapped in bandaging, it hardly looked like anything could be wrong with it at all. "Well, how do you feel? Think you can try standing on it?" Adrian asked, glancing at Colfax to assess his opinion on the matter.

Colfax kept an eye on Charlie's face while the viri ran his tiny hand over the bandaging. He didn't seem to be in pain; only in awe. That by itself was a good sign. If things weren't fully healed, they'd probably have known as soon as Sawyer had cracked the cast open. "If you think you can stand, try only a little weight at a time," he instructed slowly. "I'll need to know right away if anything doesn't feel right."

“Right,” Charlie said, heart thumping from excitement and lingering nerves. He reached out a hand and Sawyer helped him to his feet, where he swayed slightly on only one leg. Biting his lip, and well aware that everybody else was watching him as well, he slowly put his bandaged foot on the table. Carefully he put weight on his previously injured leg, on high alert for even the slightest bit of pain. There wasn’t any, though his leg did feel quite a bit weaker than usual thanks to not being used for three weeks. He let go of Sawyer’s supporting hand and stood on two healthy legs, for what seemed like the first time in forever. A small laugh escaped him and he beamed at everybody, his smile practically stretching from ear to ear. “It’s healed!” he exclaimed, bouncing a bit with delight. “No pain at all!” Sawyer gave a shout of excitement and hugged him, and they both stood there laughing for a while.

Adrian's smile shifted from hopeful to elated upon hearing Charlie's joyful announcement. He let his own laugh escape his throat, sharing an awestruck look with Colfax. Though the stoic human's smile barely turned up the corners of his mouth, Adrian saw the true smile in his dark eyes. "Charlie, that's awesome," Adrian commented, kneeling so he was closer to eye level with the people on the table. "I'm so relieved that you're okay."

"Congratulations," Colfax added, carefully reaching over to pull the broken cast away from the two celebrating viri before someone tripped on it. Even if no one ever knew, Charlie had most likely just made medical history.

The two viri detached from one another, and Charlie turned to the humans with an enormous smile. Sawyer slung his arm around Charlie’s shoulder and the shorter one laughed, shoving him slightly in reply. “Thank you both, so much,” Charlie said gratefully, looking up at the two humans with shining eyes. “I never would have gotten better without your help.” Of course, he never would have been hurt in the first place if it weren’t for Adrian, but that was an accident- their kindness and care after that had been intentional, and it was that and that alone that he cared about. Charlie knew that, had he been on his own with a broken leg, he most likely would have died. Adrian had saved his life, and become a wonderful friend in the process. For that he would always be grateful.

Adrian let a happy chuckle filter out of him. Colfax lightly rested his arms in front of himself on the table. His expression slowly shifted from happy for Charlie's recovery to pensive. Adrian could only guess what he might be thinking.  _ Probably taking mental notes about the procedure, _ he thought. "Of course, Charlie. I'm glad to help, though hopefully you won't need a cast ever again," he answered, the jest causing him to chuckle more.

Colfax wasn't making note of the procedure, though a small part of him encouraged him to do so. Instead he considered the arrangements that had been made in the last few weeks. Most of them had been directly to aid Charlie during his healing process, or to make staying in a different home easier on Sawyer. Now, these arrangements were not as necessary. With both viri completely mobile, they wouldn't need help getting around. Colfax was surprised that it bothered him to realize that  _ he _ was no longer necessary.

"I'd say we should celebrate, but after last night I think I'm gonna lay off the booze for a little while," Adrian quipped. Even as he spoke, he was thinking of what they could do to mark the momentous occasion. It was easier to imagine making a nice dinner than it was to imagine what might happen next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, chapter 50! I can't believe we've gotten this far! :D Thanks to all of you who are still reading, we hope you've loved this story as much as we have. <3


	51. Chapter 51

Sawyer laughed along at Adrian’s jokes, and Charlie couldn’t help but chuckle as well. He couldn’t stop smiling, still marveling at the feel of a cast-less leg. Sitting down, Charlie began to unwrap the bandages that remained, revealing pale, somewhat smooth skin that immediately got goosebumps as it was exposed to air after so long. “We could still do something fun!” he said, liking the idea. He looked over at Sawyer, who nodded encouragingly. Standing back up he rolled down his pant leg, bouncing happily on two feet. It felt wonderful to be whole again.

“You know…” Sawyer began, sounding eager. “We could always play Heights. If you think you’re up for it.” A slow grin spread over Charlie’s face and they shared an excited glance, their eyes both gleaming. Remembering that the two humans probably had no idea what they were talking about, Sawyer turned to them and explained. “Heights is a game lots of viri play, usually as kids when your parents don’t know and can’t tell you off for it. The goal is to get to the highest point of the room possible, often using the most risky and daring ways.” He grinned, his expression mirrored on Charlie’s face. “It’s dangerous, but  _ so _ much fun. We haven’t played it in ages.”

Colfax raised an eyebrow. "I'd like to see that," he remarked, very intrigued. He'd already seen some examples of viri dexterity and acrobatics from Sawyer. "I suppose I'll sit this game out," he added, a smirk pulling up the corners of his mouth. Considering he could reach the ceiling just by standing and reaching up, he had the most unfair advantage.

Adrian rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Right. I bet you're so bummed about being left out," he shot back.

Colfax's gaze flicked to Adrian only briefly, giving him a shot of the amused glimmer in his dark eyes. Then, he focused back on the viri. "I suppose you will want to collect your climbing gear," he suggested. He offered a hand, ready to ferry them back to the floor so they could get the supplies they needed to get their game started.

The viri laughed at Colfax’s statement, both thinking that it would hardly be a competition if the humans were involved. Though, Sawyer would be interested in seeing Colfax try something similar on a human scale. Humans were probably pretty bad at climbing, considering they never had to do it; but then again, what did he know? If the last few weeks had proved anything, it was that he actually knew very little about mankind. “Right,” he said, as he and Charlie hopped onto Colfax’s hand. He automatically turned to help Charlie on, only to smile as he realized that it was no longer needed. “You should grab your stuff from your house too, so that we have a lot to work with,” Sawyer suggested to Charlie, who nodded excitedly.

Charlie’s heart was thumping as Colfax ferried them back to the living room, though more from anticipation than anything else. It had been forever since he’d done something so daring, and knowing that he wouldn’t have to worry about humans barging in and seeing them somehow seemed to open up a lot of options. Amazingly enough, humans would be a willing audience this time. Charlie looked at the skin beneath him and wondered if this would be the last time he would be carried by human hands. Probably not, but he could get around on his own now. It would certainly happen less. Surprisingly, he didn’t know how he felt about that. They both hopped off as Colfax knelt down near the model house, and Charlie grinned to be able to move about so easily. “I’m running home to get my gear!” he announced happily, infinitely pleased to even be able to do that. He waved at them and took off towards the small door in the wall.

Adrian followed into the living room, glancing around to decide where he should settle to spectate. He had to grin upon seeing Charlie scurry off to get his own climbing gear. It was so unfamiliar to see the viri up and about, and running so easily. But, at the same time, Charlie seemed so much more complete now. Even his mood had improved considerably. Adrian tentatively settled in his desk chair so he'd have a good view of the room once the game got started. He glanced over at Colfax as his friend settled onto the couch.

"Well, are you satisfied with how well your patient is doing?" Adrian asked.

Colfax nodded once. "Very. He has done well to take care of himself, though, so I didn't doubt that he would be healed quickly. And, I think, having a more diverse diet than he is used to has helped considerably. Nutrition is a good portion of the battle." Colfax was much happier with how things turned out than he would ever show. Even without the relief he felt upon seeing Charlie moving around so well, he had learned so many valuable things.

Adrian chuckled. He was willing to bet that Colfax had even more scientific musings on the matter, but he was holding it in for the moment. "It's a huge relief. I'm so glad you came over that day to help." Colfax met his gaze for a brief moment to show that he agreed. If he hadn't decided to come and help Adrian with the “mystery creature” he'd discovered, Charlie would not be faring so well now, if he would even have survived. It was a sobering thought, and one that made them very grateful for his recovery.

“Alright, let’s do this!” Sawyer said enthusiastically, having re-emerged from the house with his own climbing gear slung around his shoulders. He looked up at the humans with a grin, noticing that they had each chosen a seat in the room. Good- that was probably as out of the way as they could get while still being able to watch. “You guys are fine there, but if you don’t mind please don’t move around,” he told them. “We’re not used to having human-sized things move during the game, and it’s dangerous enough as it is.” He didn’t seem worried by that, however, just excited. Grinning up at them he finished with, “Well. You’ll see.”

At that moment Charlie reappeared, closing the small door in the wall behind him until it seemed to disappear again. He himself had a coil of rope slung around his shoulder, from which an open safety pin dangled. His face was flushed from excitement and the exertion of running to his rooms and back for the first time in weeks. His leg was a bit weaker than usual, but he was quickly getting the hang of using it again. After all, he had been in pretty good shape before the accident, so the time spent healing hadn’t hindered him overly much. He was so ready to do something physical again, he hardly noticed. “Right!” he said cheerfully, coming to a stop near where Sawyer was standing on the porch. “Are we ready to go?”

The humans were eager to see the game get underway as well. Adrian couldn't help but smile again to see Charlie emerge from the wall, decked out in his climbing gear like it was the most natural thing in the world. He had to remind himself that it  _ was _ . And, thank their luck, Charlie didn't even appear to be hindered by his leg. "You sure look ready," Adrian pointed out.

Colfax leaned his elbow on the arm of the couch to prop up his chin. Otherwise, he didn't move very much just as Sawyer instructed. The last thing he wanted to do was break someone's concentration and cause a fall. He could put on another cast, but he didn't really want the necessity to come up. "Ready to earn some bragging rights?" he quipped, peering down at the two viri.

Charlie grinned up at them. “You bet!” he exclaimed. Sawyer jumped down from the shelf and they turned to face each other. “Let’s do this,” Charlie said with a grin, and they started doing rock paper scissors. Charlie won, and as Sawyer groaned the shorter viri looked around the room appraisingly. “I choose… that side of the room.” He pointed to the half with the computer desk and the shelves above it, and grinned at a pouting Sawyer.

“Fine,” Sawyer said, moving to the other side of the room- the one which held the couch and the bookshelf their house was on. “I won’t complain, because this is your celebration. But be warned, you’re about to get your ass kicked.”

_ Rock paper scissors? _ echoed incredulously in Colfax's head even as Charlie and Sawyer took their places. It was... intriguing to see such a mundane gesture in miniature. He made sure to keep himself planted so he didn't distract their focus, but he couldn't help leaning forward slightly to track their movements. Adrian was equally susceptible to the temptation.

Charlie scoffed as he moved to his own side of the room. “As if!” They stopped in their respective places, turning to look at each other with wide smiles. “Ready,” Charlie yelled, and they both moved their ropes from shoulder to hand. “Go!” With that, they were off.

And, with minimal warning, the game began. Adrian suppressed a chuckle as his small friends sprinted across the floor, their ropes held at the ready. It was truly amazing to see Charlie so active; the contrast between his demeanor now and the way he was in the past few weeks was like night and day. Not that Charlie had seemed depressed, but... it seemed like so much weight had been lifted off of his tiny shoulders now that he was in control of his own fate again.

Adrian raised his eyebrows when Charlie reared back, readying his safety pin grappling hook. He tracked the silvery object as it was thrown upwards, watching to see where it latched on. Colfax kept a similar focus on Sawyer's fishhook. He knew he probably shouldn't pick sides, but in the back of his mind he was rooting for his spunky little friend.

Charlie’s hook arced upwards and onto Adrian’s desk. As soon as it caught on the wood he began shimmying up the rope, climbing quickly and expertly. He reached the top within minutes. Once there he detached his safety pin with a habitual flick of the wrist, pulling up the rope even as he looked up. The shelves above him were much too high to reach with his homemade grappling hook, but that wasn’t an issue. He was a viri after all, and viri have ingenuity in abundance. Racing towards the small bin of office supplies kept on the desk, he searched through the objects there, reemerging triumphantly with a pair of small pushpins. Enough to hold his weight, but not enough to make noticeable marks when pushed into the walls; though of course, he didn’t exactly have to worry about that anymore.

Meanwhile, Sawyer wasn’t doing too bad himself. A quick glance had told him that the shelves their house rested upon were probably his best option, and he had set about climbing them almost immediately. He started out by simply flinging his hook to the first shelf and climbing onto it. From there it was trickier, as the shelves all lined up perfectly; he was forced to lean out over empty space in order to throw his hook up to the next level, not to mention having to scramble around the books and other items actually filling the shelves. He managed to, however, and by the time Charlie had found his pushpins Sawyer had managed to climb more than halfway up the bookshelf.

Colfax had seen Sawyer's dexterity in action before, so he wasn't overly worried as the viri scaled the shelves. He dodged around books and picture frames and other meticulously sorted trinkets like water slipping around a bend. He made it look so natural. Colfax almost chuckled to himself to think that he'd seen creatures of equal size unable to move that steadily and at that speed.

Adrian couldn't track both viri, though he did glance over at Sawyer's progress on occasion. But, as Charlie deftly hoisted himself up the wall with a pair of pushpins, he became more attentive.  _ Most humans can't even do that, _ he marveled. He knew he certainly wouldn't be able to hold up his own weight with just his arms. "Yeah, go Charlie!" he muttered, unable to hold it back. He hoped it wouldn't be too distracting. A glance across the room revealed that Sawyer seemed to have the current advantage. But Adrian thought for certain that Charlie would be able to catch up.

Charlie grinned as he scaled the wall, Adrian’s cheer boosting him a bit as he progressed. He grunted with exertion- it was hard work, after all, and he was a bit out of practice. That didn’t discourage him, however, and he moved steadily upwards. He focused on hanging onto the pushpins, noticing with some concern that his hands were beginning to sweat. He had looped his rope around his wrists and the points of the pushpins, so that just in case he did fall he had something to catch him, but he would obviously rather not test that. It was somewhat slow going, but in the span of a few minutes he had made it to the shelf. The viri all but collapsed at the top, breathing heavily and resting on his back for a moment as he stared up. There was nowhere further to go from here, but he knew Sawyer would be able to beat him with the bookshelves. Somehow, he had to get higher.

By the time that Charlie reached the shelf above the desk, Sawyer had made it to the top of the bookshelf, and was more than a bit out of breath himself. Sitting on the edge he looked around, pleased to see that at the moment he was higher than Charlie. Neither of them had any more furniture to climb; a novice at the game might think that this would be the end of it, but where there’s a will there’s a way, and the two viri certainly had enough will. Standing up, Sawyer could see that Charlie was wiping his hands on his pants and readying himself for the climb ahead. He was going to try to make it to the ceiling, of course- and somehow, Sawyer had to do the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a bit of really cool news! :la: We're actually finished with this story! I'll be posting the final chapters this week. So many thanks to everybody that kept reading this along the way, you all are the absolute best. It means so much to us that so many people are reading and enjoying this little story of ours. ^^
> 
> For those of you who, like us, find yourselves disappointed that this is coming to an end, never fear! We're already planning another one, and AU of sorts if you will. I won't tell you exactly what it is yet, but I can assure you it's going to be a lot of fun!


	52. Chapter 52

The humans were not aware of it right away, but their own slow movements were mirroring each other. Both Adrian and Colfax leaned away from the shelves on either side of the room, trying to get better views of Charlie and Sawyer once they reached the top. Though he knew that Sawyer had warned them not to move too much, Adrian stood cautiously, keeping his distance from the shelf and moving as softly as he could so he wouldn't shake the furniture.

Colfax saw Adrian move in the corner of his eyes, but he had his face turned upwards toward Sawyer. It was kind of a novel experience, to be looking  _ up _ at someone six inches tall; even if it was just due to their superior climbing skills. He raised an eyebrow as Sawyer began looking for a way to climb even higher. Colfax remained where he sat for the moment, waiting with more than a little intrigue to see what the viri would come up with now that they had reached the tops of the furniture.

Taking deep, steady breaths, Charlie picked up the pushpins again and stood, looking up the rest of the wall with determination. With deliberate motions he began climbing up, his arms tense as he stuck each pushpin into the wall. On the other side of the room, Sawyer saw him begin and thought through his own options with a small sigh. There was only one, really- making it to the top of the doorframe and reaching the ceiling that way. To get there, however, he would have to get… creative. Looking down at Colfax (a decidedly novel situation for him as well, to say the least) he made up his mind. “Colfax,” he said. Once he had the human’s attention he held up a hand with a grin and said, “Don’t move.”

Once assured that Colfax would stay in place, Sawyer hooked his rope on the edge of the shelf. Climbing a good ways down it, he began swinging back and forth, gaining momentum quickly. At the peak of one of his highest swings he all but let go of the rope, letting the extra trail through his hands as he flew through the air and landed crouched atop Colfax’s head. Grinning widely he stood up, making sure not to slip on Colfax’s hair, and flicked his rope. The fishhook came off the bookshelf and flew in a wide arc above him, and Sawyer caught it perfectly as it came down.

Charlie, curious as to what was going on, chanced a glance down and gaped. “Not fair!” he yelled. “Humans aren’t furniture!”

“But they’re still fair game!” Sawyer countered loudly, grinning at his friend from atop Colfax. Charlie grumbled something indecipherable and started climbing even faster.

Adrian looked over in surprise when Charlie protested. His jaw dropped to see Colfax sitting stock still with a startled expression on his face. Colfax certainly had  _ not _ expected it, though in hindsight he supposed he should have. A laugh blurted out of Adrian, but Colfax just shot him an arch look. He remained very still, completely unsure of what to do about the tiny footsteps on top of his head.

"Just don't do any whirling around, Colfax," Adrian teased, still smiling. Then, he glanced back at Charlie, who climbed with greater fervor than before. "You can still do this, Charlie!"

Colfax rolled his eyes, but he certainly didn't whirl around. He was barely comfortable moving his head at all, lest he send Sawyer plummeting to the floor. "I suppose you want me to stand and walk you somewhere," he spoke. "Very resourceful. Dangerous, but resourceful."

Sawyer glanced at the distance from the fishhook he held to the top of the door and a grin slowly grew across his face. “That’s a  _ fantastic _ idea Colfax,” he said emphatically. Quickly looping his rope he slung it across his shoulders and dropped to a crouch for better balance. Reaching down he grabbed hold of some of Colfax’s dark hair, looping the strands around his hands and trying not to tug on them. He didn’t want to accidentally hurt Colfax, as silly as that might sound given the comparison between them. “A’ight, I’m ready,” he said once he was fairly assured that he wouldn’t fall off. “To the front door!”

Meanwhile, Charlie had made it most of the way up to the ceiling. He was getting tired, and his arms were beginning to shake from the exertion, but he wasn’t about to give up. No way. His hand slipped once and he gave a short yelp, hanging from the rope connecting his wrist to the pushpin. Gritting his teeth he swung slightly and managed to get his grip again, pausing for a moment to catch his breath and try to calm his heart rate before continuing.

Colfax resisted the strong urge to scratch his head. He didn't want to knock into Sawyer when his perch was already so precarious. But his tiny movements certainly did cause a bit of a tickle. He looked over at Adrian, daring him with his expression to tease him further. Still, steady as ever, Colfax stood, resisting the urge to reach up and move Sawyer from the precarious spot. "This is... interesting." He glanced over when Charlie yelped, and gave Adrian a pointed look.  _ If I'm going to be a living taxicab, he's going to be, too. _

Adrian didn't see his look because he was too busy keeping an eye on Charlie already. He flinched when Charlie dropped a few inches, his breath hitching in his chest. Adrian glanced over and saw that Sawyer was going to regain the upper hand by using Colfax's help. So he didn't see why Charlie couldn't get some human help too. He stilled a tremor in his hand before reaching up and holding his first two fingers under Charlie's feet to support him while he rested. He almost couldn't reach; while Colfax was tall enough to reach the ceiling without effort, Adrian would only be able to brush it if he stood on his tiptoes.

"Have a plan?" he whispered, his expression inviting Charlie's ideas. He would help in this competition however he could, though Colfax had already crossed around the couch toward the front door.

Charlie almost didn’t let his feet touch Adrian’s hand, not for any real reason other than wanting to maintain the integrity of the game. Realizing that Sawyer had obviously changed the nature of the competition, however, he didn’t see any harm in getting a little support from Adrian- quite literally, in this case. He relaxed as he stood on the human’s fingers, his arms aching and grateful for the relief. Charlie glanced up at the ceiling, gauging the distance he had yet to go. It wasn’t that much further, and he narrowed his eyes determinedly. “Yeah,” he said in reply to Adrian’s question. “The plan is to win!” With that he kicked off from Adrian’s hand and started climbing once more, thoroughly resolute in his attempt to get up to the ceiling. No way was Sawyer beating him in this.

Adrian grinned, encouraged by Charlie's confidence. Of course, the moment he'd seen him start climbing, all concerns about his leg had been wiped away. Charlie had taken to the activity as easily as breathing. It was amazing to think that this was his normal mobility, and not the slow, careful pace he had to take when he'd had a cast and crutch.

Sawyer had glanced up in worry as Charlie yelped, only to see with relief that he was still attached to the wall. The other viri still felt better knowing that Adrian was standing underneath his friend, however; if Charlie fell, he would be caught, and that was a safety net they usually didn’t have the luxury of. They usually didn’t have the opportunity of using humans to their advantage either, but Sawyer was making the most of it. He gripped Colfax’s hair tightly as the human steadily stood up, keeping his balance with wide eyes and a big smile. This was definitely one of the cooler things he’d ever done- it might even be better than riding the cat. Colfax was a great deal taller. Once the human had stopped by the door Sawyer called down to him, “Okay Colfax, stay still. I’m going to stand up.”

Colfax sighed, though there was a clear smirk in his eyes. "You got it," he answered quietly, quite sure Sawyer would hear him anyway. He stood stock still, barely daring to breathe as he felt Sawyer stand up on top of his head. It was one of the more bizarre, if very entertaining, things he'd ever been a part of. Luckily, it wasn't very tough for Colfax to stay still, since it was what he did much of the time anyway.

Both humans paid avid attention to the viri that shared their sides of the room. There was no question that this was probably the first time such a scene was unfolding.

Making sure he had enough balance standing atop Colfax’s head to do such a thing successfully, Sawyer spread his feet a bit wider and looked appraisingly at the door frame above him. Sliding his rope and hook off his shoulder once again he swung it back and gave it an expert toss. It flew up and landed hook-first on the narrow strip of wood protruding from the wall. Before it could slide off he gave it a sharp tug down, securing it. With that done he gathered the extra rope in his hands just in case, took a deep breath, and jumped off of Colfax’s head. He swung slightly in front of the door before he began climbing, scaling the rope quickly and naturally.

Charlie, meanwhile, had spent his final burst of energy in making it to the ceiling. His pushpins were hardly an inch below it, and though his arms were about to give out he had a plan to stay up there and touch it to win. Making sure his pins were driven into the wall harder than usual, and each one now sturdy enough to hold his weight, he slid one of his hands off of the pin and out of the loop of the rope that was keeping him attached to it. Gripping onto the other pushpin with both hands he swung his legs over and up, looping his inside leg onto the recently unused pin. Sliding carefully, and changing his handholds, he managed to turn the two pushpins into a kind of seat. When he ‘sat’ in it, his head just brushed the textured ceiling. Reaching up with a grin he touched it with his free hand and glanced over to Sawyer, who had just then made it to the top of the doorframe and was cautiously pulling himself to his feet on it. “I won!” Charlie called happily.

From his rather precarious position atop the narrow doorframe, Sawyer looked over at Charlie and, making a face, yelled back, “Aw man, seriously? I thought I was definitely winning.” Secretly he was pleased, however- Charlie deserved it. Sawyer glanced around with a sigh, realizing that meant he would have to get down again somehow. Just as he was about to say something to Colfax, Sawyer swallowed a yelp as sudden vibrations traveled up through the door frame, almost making him lose his balance. He and Charlie glanced at each other with wide eyes.

Somebody had knocked on the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the rather short chapter, but it was just such a perfect cliffhanger I couldn't help myself. XD Any guesses on who it is?


	53. Chapter 53

Adrian's congratulatory remark died in his throat at the sound. He looked frantically up at Charlie, his perch high but still quite visible. And Sawyer was even more precarious, standing just above the door like that. Adrian caught a quick moment of eye contact with Colfax. His friend looked just as startled, but was quickly regaining control of the situation. Adrian practically held his breath as Colfax checked the peephole in the door to see who it was.

Colfax gave a flat look and announced quietly, "It's Felicia."

At Colfax’s mention that it was Felicia, Charlie bit back a noise of alarm and paled, still scared of the woman just beyond the door. He knew Colfax said that he had taken care of her, and he believed him, but his experiences with her weren’t something he could just forget about. Quickly unraveling his rope from his hand and one of the pushpins he began climbing down the string. 

Before Adrian could panic, her timid voice called through the door. "A-Adrian? I was ordered by the court to pay reparations f-for breaking into your apartment. I'm not here to cause any trouble." She sounded like she might be ready to bolt at any second. Colfax wasn't always one for mischief, but this just seemed like a perfect opportunity, especially after all of the trouble the woman had caused. Colfax glanced up and caught Sawyer's eye, raising an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.

"I-I can just slip this under the door-" Felicia began; but Colfax didn't give her a chance to finish before he opened up the door part way. He leaned on the frame, his height effectively blocking the petite woman's view of the room beyond. If she trembled any more, her teeth might have chattered.

Adrian stared dumbstruck at Colfax's back. He couldn't see Felicia beyond him at all. But, when his friend spoke again, in a derisive, almost haughty tone, Adrian had to purse his lips to avoid bursting out laughing. "Felicia, I thought I had made myself clear the last time we spoke," Colfax warned.

"I-I-I'm not here to cause trouble!" she answered shrilly. Adrian glanced up to make sure Charlie was still secure. He inched closer to the wall, ready to catch the viri should he fall. But he listened to Felicia's weak explanation. "Just take this, and I'll go. I'm not here for fairies. Don't curse me, please!"

Charlie had only gotten a couple of inches when Colfax opened the door, and he froze at hearing Felicia’s voice. Though, he had to admit, Colfax was speaking to her really sternly. He wouldn’t like to be on the other end of either of their parts of the conversation. Felicia sounded terrified though, and… and Sawyer was tying his rope around his waist.

Charlie stared at him with an open mouth, and as Sawyer looked up and met his eyes with a grin he immediately knew what his friend was thinking. He shook his head frantically, trying to tell him that  _ this is dangerous you idiot stop what you’re doing right now _ but Sawyer just gave him a thumbs up. Then, as Charlie watched, he jumped off of the doorframe. Coming down next to Colfax’s head he swung directly through the door- and kicked Felicia in the nose.

Felicia reared back and her eyes shut tight in surprise. At first, the shape that had come at her face was just a blur. But, as she leaned back from the door and her eyes focused, her breath caught in her throat. "V-v-viri?" she muttered weakly. It wasn't even the same one she had seen before. This one was  _ bigger. _ Though she was loath to take her eyes off of the little being right after it attacked her, she had to tear her gaze away to look at Colfax when he spoke again.

"I see that my friends are not so forgiving," he remarked, tilting his head very slightly to the side. Colfax was having fun, though his face didn't show it at all. His calm demeanor sent Felicia's heart rate skyrocketing. "It would be better if you left." It was clear in his tone that, all shenanigans aside, it wasn't just a suggestion.

Felicia stumbled back, dropping an envelope on the threshold. "A-am I cursed?" she asked, barely above a whisper. Hesitantly, she turned her gaze to Sawyer once more, shaking and in awe of the way he hung there, defying all gravity despite his lack of wings.

"I suppose you'll find out in three days," Colfax answered without missing a beat. He kept a straight face even as a low whimper escaped Felicia before she tore down the hallway toward the stairs, nearly tripping over herself as she went.

Adrian held in his laughter. Right up until Colfax stepped back from the door to put his palm under Sawyer's feet and lifted the viri out of the way of the door as he closed it. Then, laughter filled with both relief and amusement bubbled out of him. "Did that really just happen? Did she really... oh my god." Adrian put a hand over his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief.

Sawyer had started shaking with repressed laughter at Felicia’s final expression, and as soon as Colfax closed the door it burst out of him. “AHhahahahahaha!” he cackled, taking a seat on Colfax’s hand and all but doubling up with laughter. “That was great!” he gasped, still snickering as he tried to pull himself together again. Wiping tears of mirth from his eyes he sat up and started untying the rope from around his waist. Judging by how she had looked at him, she hadn’t even seemed to notice it was the reason for him hanging in mid-air. “Three days,” he repeated to himself, laughing again. “Oh, that was fantastic. So worth it.”

It took Charlie a while to stop gaping, as he tried to puzzle through what exactly had just happened, but once he did a quiet little laugh broke out of him. She really was scared of them now- and Colfax and Sawyer had certainly just done quite a number on her. His laughter turned to a small squeak, however, as he lost his grip for a moment and slid down about half an inch. His arms were shaking from the physical exertion he had just put himself through, and with some dismay he realized that his rope by no means reached all the way down to the desk, but he probably wouldn’t have enough strength to climb back up to the pushpins and use them to get back down again. “Uh, Adrian?” he asked, swinging gently on his rope. “A little help, please?”

Adrian looked up and made a startled face before immediately offering a hand. He waited until he was sure that Charlie had settled on his palm before lowering his hand. "Today just keeps getting better, doesn't it?" he asked with a laugh. Colfax made a faint noise of agreement before reaching up and pulling Sawyer's climbing hook from the doorframe.

"I suppose it is very well-deserved good luck that she believed me," Colfax mused, though he still seemed baffled by her lack of common sense. He knelt to pick up the envelope that Felicia had left, sliding it out from under the door. All the while, he kept the hand holding Sawyer as steady as ever.

Adrian nodded, sending a relieved smile Charlie's way. "I'll say. Wish I could have seen the look on her face."

Colfax's smirk indicated that her expression had been every bit as entertaining as Adrian imagined it to be. "I can't say I expected you to actually  _ kick _ her, Sawyer."

Sawyer looked up at him with an expression of “well duh”. After what she had put Charlie through? Of course he was going to kick her! “The opportunity was too great not too,” he said aloud, not sounding repentant in the least. “It’s not my fault she was standing so close to the door.” He grinned at Colfax as he took his fishing hook back from the human, looping the rope up once again and slinging it across his shoulders. Payback, however small, had been sweet indeed. Even Colfax had gone full-on cold-hearted wizard on her, a fact which amused Sawyer to no end. It would seem the serious student had a streak of humor after all, and boy was it great.

Once Adrian’s hand got to the desk, Charlie stepped briskly off of it, glancing up at the human with a smile and thanking him for the help. His rope was still hanging off of the pushpins, which were still stuck to the wall near the ceiling, and he frowned up at them. Even though the human occupants had been watching him while he did it, the fact that he had left them there in plain sight still bothered him. Old habits die hard, especially those bred into you since birth. He probably shouldn’t get rid of such feelings either; to do such a thing would not only be to reject his learned culture, but to rid himself of potential safe and necessary instincts as well.

Colfax carried Sawyer over to the desk, letting him slide off of his hand onto the surface near where Charlie had settled. Adrian stepped out of his way, and without even being asked Colfax reached up to pull the pushpins out of the wall, easily catching the left-behind objects. Adrian noted that, being a head shorter than Colfax, even he was a little envious of how easy it was for Colfax to reach that high. He could only imagine what that would look like to the viri standing on the desk.

As Colfax put the supplies back on the desk Charlie thanked him and walked over to them. Picking up his rope he coiled it and hung it across his shoulders like Sawyer had, before picking up the two pushpins and returning them to the small container on the desk that he had gotten them from. It felt really nice to do something by himself for once, even if it was as simple as carrying things and putting them back where they belonged. Not having to rely on others, but being able to choose to instead, was the best thing in the world after three weeks of having no say in the matter. He felt like he was in control of his life again.

"So, what's that envelope she left?" Adrian asked, unable to hold in his curiosity. Colfax handed it to him after depositing Charlie's climbing gear on the desk. Both actions, though they were wildly different in their implications, looked so mundane and normal. "Felicia said something about reparations?"

Colfax shrugged. "The school appeals court must have ordered it."

Adrian glanced over the hastily scrawled letters on the front. She had only written his name. "I bet she didn't count on you guys being there to greet her," he mused. Even though it would normally put him on edge to know that Sawyer had been seen by someone else, it was very comforting to have confirmation that Felicia was terrified of crossing Colfax again. It meant that, no matter where his viri friends ended up going, they were safe from that madwoman.

“From the look on her face she definitely didn’t,” Sawyer said with a smirk, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms and feet. He looked up at Adrian with a rather self-satisfied grin. “You should have seen it, she was looking at Colfax like he could strike her down with a bolt of lightning if he so much as glanced at her wrong. It was great.”

Adrian glanced at Colfax as Sawyer described Felicia's reaction. Frankly, he couldn't blame the woman. Even when he wasn't particularly angry or annoyed, Colfax had a certain unsettling calm about him. Combine that with the earnest belief that he was a spell-slinging wizard, and you had a terrifying person indeed.

Sawyer’s gaze flicked to the envelope in Adrian’s hand. “Well, open it already! It might be a decent bit of money, you never know.” Despite the fact that viri had no money, and therefore were kind of iffy on the whole concept of it, he knew enough to realize that any extra money was a good thing. Unlike viri, humans could only obtain things through money- so, the more the better, right?

"Ooh, maybe you're right," Adrian mused, tearing the flap of the envelope carefully. Inside was a check with a typed note explaining the purpose of the money. "Nice. Fifty bucks. That's groceries for the next couple weeks right there," he announced.

Colfax inclined his head, trying to catch a glimpse of the words on the note. "What's it say?" he asked. When Adrian didn't hand the note over, instead opting to push it back into the envelope, Colfax smirked. "She wrote you a letter, didn't she? A tribute for the prince?" Adrian's indignant look elicited a chuckle, though Colfax didn't try to take the envelope just yet.

"No," Adrian insisted. "She just said sorry a lot."

“I’m sure she did,” Sawyer said with a smirk, resolving to sneak a peek at the letter the first chance he got. Old habits die hard, after all, and he wasn’t used to having things off limits to him. Nothing was off limits to a viri, not if you were skilled and sneaky enough. Charlie had come to join him and was sitting against the wall next to him, stretching out newly sore arms. Sawyer glanced down at him and, sighing, said, “Well, I suppose you win that one- and well deserved, too,” he added with a smile, glancing up the long way to the ceiling. “It was much more fun with humans around though, we’ll definitely have to do that again.”

Charlie scoffed at that. “I still think that was rather cheating, using Colfax like that. It somewhat ruined the point of the game. Furniture won’t walk you exactly where you need to go, after all.” Still, he had to admit it had been creative- and that was the other point of the game. If he hadn’t managed to win regardless of Sawyer’s added nuances, maybe he would have been a bit more peeved; but he had, and he wasn’t. 

Adrian chuckled. "I'm glad we spiced the game up for you. Sawyer, you should have seen the look on Colfax's face when you landed on his head." Adrian got a flat look from his fellow human, but he didn't answer it with remorse. "What? You looked more surprised than I've seen you in a while!"

Colfax rolled his eyes. "Well, it's not every day a six inch person abseils onto your head," he pointed out. That was certainly nothing to argue with. He shifted his gaze to Charlie. "Congratulations on your victory. How is your leg feeling after all of this exertion?" He was back to business, of course, but the way Colfax saw it, it was a prudent question. Adrian looked down at Charlie with interest as well. There weren't any outward signs of anything wrong, of course. But it was better to be safe than sorry.

Charlie looked down at the limb in question, moving it experimentally. “It feels fine,” he said. Stretching an arm with a grin he added cheerfully, “My arms are kind of sore, but my leg feels good as ever. A bit weaker than usual maybe, but I’m sure in a couple of days it will be back to normal.” It felt positively wonderful to be back on his feet, even if one leg did feel slightly wobblier than the other. After weeks of hobbling along and hardly being able to get anywhere on his own it was if a great weight had been lifted from him. He was free again, a whole viri once more, no longer dependent on crutches… or humans.

He got a rather distant look in his eye for a moment, before giving a small sigh and standing up. Sawyer watched curiously as he walked towards the edge of the desk, taking his rope and safety pin from his shoulder as he did so. “Where are you going?” Sawyer asked him, looking slightly baffled as Charlie stuck his pin into the wood of the desk.

“To put my gear away in the house,” Charlie said, gesturing to the model they had been living in. He met Sawyer’s eye and something unspoken passed between them. “Would you like to come along?”

Sawyer immediately knew what he was getting at. “Yeah, sure,” he said, sounding as casual as ever. Charlie nodded and disappeared over the edge even as Sawyer started walking over towards him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sawyer's a little daredevil. XD But there was no way he was going to let such a perfect opportunity for revenge slip by him. It's a miracle he and Charlie are friends, what with the amount of things he does that nearly give Charlie a heart attack from nerves.


	54. Chapter 54

Colfax and Adrian watched the viri make their way to the floor with ease. Adrian was glad to see Charlie in such good spirits, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was still heavy on his mind. "Alright. Let me know if you need something. I've got some laundry to put away," Adrian announced, remembering the basket full of folded clothes that still sat abandoned in one corner of his bedroom.

Colfax glanced between the two viri down on the floor and Adrian, who was slowly retreating down the hallway towards his bedroom. He heaved a sigh before wordlessly shuffling into the kitchen, leaving the living room empty of humans. He put away all of the things that had been left out from his first aid kit, stowing the knife carefully. He held the tiny broken cast in his palm for a moment, peering at it pensively. Then, Colfax broke the crumbling material in his fist, brushing the unrecognizable pieces into the trash. There was no more evidence that a viri had been here with a broken leg.

Adrian had barely put three shirts away before Colfax was leaning in the doorway. The blond human started slightly, amazed at how easy it was for Colfax to sneak around. "Jeez, you're gonna give someone a heart attack creeping up like that," Adrian groused, though there was a laugh in his voice.

"Unlikely," Colfax answered absently, dark eyes glancing over at the dresser. It was strange to think that just a few weeks ago, he'd discovered a remarkable species right on that dustless surface. "You know that they will be making a decision soon," he stated bluntly, quiet words making Adrian's movement halt for a split second. "About what to do next."

"Yup," Adrian murmured back. "That's why I figured I should get out of their way."

Colfax tilted his head, his eyes staring forward without really seeing. There were two stances battling for dominance in his mind. On one hand, old habits died hard. His scientific tendencies demanded that he learn more about the viri before it was too late. But the other side of him, a side that didn't usually speak so loudly, pointed out that he should respect his friends, no matter the decision they came to. Colfax heaved a sigh. He knew what the right thing was; as much as it angered his scientific side. Colfax crossed his arms pensively. "What do you plan to do?"

Adrian chuckled. "Put away my laundry," he answered easily. Though, inwardly, he was just as confused about what to do. He was amazed at the fact that he'd become such good friends with Charlie and Sawyer. Adrian wasn't exactly a social butterfly, and he had never expected to have roommates. And yet, imagining his life in the apartment without them was impossible; considering he had found Charlie on his first day there, he had no point of reference for any other lifestyle in his little apartment.

"You know what I mean, Adrian. What will you do if they decide to leave?"

Adrian shrugged. "Wish them luck? I don't know what kind of answer you're looking for, Colfax." He glanced over at his friend, and saw that Colfax was raising an eyebrow at him thoughtfully. "Alright, so it's kinda sad. But I  _ told _ you, when Charlie heals, he would probably go back to his old life, and I'd go on with my own. It's not like I can make him stay." Colfax's brow pinched. Adrian knew his friend was likely thinking of a lot more than he let on.

"Hey, it's not like you and Sawyer won't be friends anymore, Colfax," Adrian pointed out. "Even if he decides to take off to be safer." It was difficult, but Adrian could read some of the concerns on his friend's face. At least, until he pointed it out. Colfax slipped into his neutral mask once more after a dry chuckle.

"Yes, I suppose you're right."

~~~

The two viri walked to the house together quietly, the fact that both humans had left them alone for the time being not lost on them. They went inside and Sawyer closed the front door behind them, thinking about how much of a home the small model house felt to them now. His room here felt just as comfortable to him as his old one, and it was certainly better constructed. Honestly, the entire model house had been an upgrade; human company and everything. He put his gear away in his own room and walked quietly over to Charlie’s, sitting on the bed next to his friend. Leaning against the wall he sighed, rubbing his face with a hand. Charlie sat next to him, staring intently and distantly ahead of him. They both knew what was coming, so Sawyer went ahead and said it. “We have a lot to talk about, buddy.”

“I know,” Charlie said quietly, closing his eyes and rubbing them with a small noise of displeasure. “God, I know. What on earth are we going to do?” They both thought about that for a while, the same thoughts going through their minds. With Charlie healed, there was nothing forcing them to stay with the two humans. Though the Code might not cover being captured by humans and coming back from it as a possibility, it was clear what any sane, responsible viri would do: make the humans promise never to tell anyone, pack up, leave, and try to start over again somewhere else, somewhere less dangerous. Somewhere they wouldn’t be seen again.

The only problem was, they weren’t feeling very sane or responsible. They weren’t feeling very viri-like at all. Despite themselves they had become good friends with Colfax and Adrian, better friends than some of the viri they had met in the course of their lives. Friends like that didn’t happen often, forget with humans. It was a rare, nice thing, and it made them feel… safe, even living within the complete sight and knowledge of a couple of humans.

“I don’t want to leave it all behind,” Sawyer said softly, and Charlie was glad he said it. He wasn’t sure he could have gathered the strength necessary to say it first.

“But we have to… don’t we?” Charlie asked, the question sounding almost pleading. He didn’t want to leave either- he liked staying with Adrian, liked being able to talk to people every day and not having to sneak around all the time. He liked being able to grab food without worrying about whether a human was in the house or not, of being able to have somebody besides himself as company for once. The fact remained, however, that they were two viri living in full knowledge of two humans. That itself was so taboo to a viri that Charlie struggled with the idea of consciously continuing it, having a choice now as he did.

“I don’t see why we can’t stay here,” Sawyer argued. “We’ve already blown the Code to smithereens by becoming friends with them, this isn’t that much different. Not to mention we’ve lived here with them for three weeks now and we’ve been just fine.”

“But that’s the thing, Sawyer, we haven’t,” said Charlie, sounding distressed. He didn’t like making big decisions like this, especially something so emotionally stressful. “No matter how safe we feel with Adrian and Colfax, being with them has still put us in danger. Felicia  _ kidnapped _ me, you ended up with a cat…”

“Which is something that could have happened to me regardless,” Sawyer interrupted, not unkindly but earnestly. “Come on, Charlie, you know as well as I do that I’ve been in more dangerous situations. Most viri have. It would have been worse, too, if I hadn’t had a couple of humans ready to come bail me out. Same with you. As much danger as they might put us in, they keep us from too.” Charlie still seemed unconvinced, so he continued intently. “Think about it. How many times have you gotten hurt having to duck out of sight quickly? Had to move suddenly without preparation thanks to something a human did? Faced down an animal on your own?” Sawyer paused for a moment and took a deep breath before driving the point home. “A viri’s life is always dangerous. For once we get to pick our own danger.”

Charlie had started trembling as Sawyer talked, and Sawyer’s heart sank as he saw tears spilling down his friend’s face. “I  _ want _ to stay, Sawyer,” Charlie said, his voice choked with conflicting emotions. “It’s just… what do I tell my parents? I can’t lie to them, but if we stay…” A quiet sob rent his chest and he paused for a moment, gathering himself before continuing. “I don’t know that I could tell them the truth. They wouldn’t understand, they wouldn’t- I just can’t.” He shuddered to a stop, his shoulders shaking. Sawyer looked at him with brow furrowed for a moment before scooting over and slinging an arm around his shoulder, giving him a gentle hug.

“If you want to stay, then we should stay,” Sawyer said quietly, rubbing Charlie’s shoulder affectionately. “I can help you talk to your parents.” Charlie sniffled and looked up at him, his face still a mix of emotions fighting to win. Sawyer gave him a small, encouraging smile. “And no matter what they think or say, you have friends here who will always care about you. You’re a good person, Charlie. Regardless of what the Code or your parents might say.” He was completely serious about it, and as Charlie nodded he seemed to crumple. Leaning into Sawyer he cried silently, the pressure of the decision finally released.

Charlie and Sawyer stayed silently in the house for a few minutes, until Charlie had pulled himself back together again. Sniffling he wiped his face with a sleeve, still flushing red from the crying and more than a bit of embarrassment about it. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to go off on you like that. Thanks for… for helping me work through all of that.” He looked up at Sawyer, his eyes still puffy and red but his face dry. “Are you sure you’re okay with this as well? I don’t want to force you to stay somewhere you don’t want to.”

“Of course, buddy,” Sawyer said. They made their way out onto the porch, knowing that they should let Colfax and Adrian know now that they had made a decision. “I want to stay too. I wouldn’t just give up on my three best friends, now would I?” He beamed at Charlie, who gave him a relieved smile. They sat down on the porch and Charlie looked down at his legs as they swung, still trying to get used to the lightness without the cast. “Besides,” Sawyer said with a sigh, leaning back on his hands, “if I left, Colfax might go back to being an antisocial recluse, and we can’t have that.”

Charlie chuckled appreciatively at that, but still seemed to have something on his mind. It wasn’t long before he voiced it. “Sawyer,” he said, quiet but certain. “I’m glad we’re staying here, but we still have to be smart about it.” He looked over at his friend seriously. “If it ever comes about that we’re at risk of getting seen by another human, or that other viri might be in danger by us living with them, then we have to leave. No questions, no exceptions.”

Sawyer met his gaze and gave him a soft, if serious, smile. With a nod he said, “Agreed.” And that was that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A decision has been made. u.u Only one chapter left guys! :D Thanks again to everybody who's stuck with us and this story! You're the best. <3
> 
> PS we just started the next one, and I'm so super excited for you guys to read it. XD Still curious as to what all you guys think it might be...


	55. Chapter 55

Adrian, efficient as always, had his laundry put away in quick time. With the basket empty, he sat down on his bed wearily. "I guess I'd be pretty sad at first," he finally admitted. Colfax zeroed in on his friend's face, finally seeing his truer emotions there. So Adrian was conflicted, too. Suddenly Colfax didn't feel so out of place, especially when the blond human added, "I mean, I don't want them to just disappear completely and never see them again."

Colfax nodded, averting his gaze. Adrian had already made his decision, it was clear. And, though parts of him argued that this definitely couldn't be over, Colfax had made his decision, too. "I suppose it would be for the best. Their continued association with us could be very dangerous to other viri."

Adrian sighed. "I wish I'd never set that stupid trap," he muttered. "If I hadn't done that, Charlie never would have gotten hurt. I mean, ever since he met me it seems like they've gone through some of the scariest things. That's... that's  _ my _ fault, Colfax."

Colfax glanced back at Adrian and saw the guilt written all over his pale face. He couldn't look at it for long without becoming unsettled. He was never very good at summoning up comforting words, and with Adrian, Colfax couldn't even go with a lame pat on the back. He thought carefully about the last several weeks. "Perhaps Charlie would not have gotten hurt, but I don't think we should jump to conclusions," Colfax finally said.

"What do you mean?" Adrian searched his friend's face, wearing a perplexed expression.

Colfax hummed thoughtfully before answering. "Imagine, if you will, what things would be like if Felicia had alerted me to the existence of the viri before you did." Adrian's blue eyes widened, the implications of Colfax's simple statement running wild in his mind. Colfax could practically see his imagination running full tilt. "I see you understand my point. Things could have been much, much worse." While it was tough to admit it about himself, Colfax would have been a colossal nightmare without Adrian's kinder tendencies to buffer his scientific side.

"Y-yeah. When you put it that way... I guess I'm really glad," Adrian admitted. He sighed, and then glanced out to the hallway. "Think we should go and see what they're up to soon, or should we wait?" A part of him wondered if the viri would even still be there when he went back to the other room.

Colfax glanced behind him, barely seeing the edge of the couch from his angle. "Let's go," he muttered, the simple answer coming easily to him. He was curious about what they would find. It was entirely possible that Charlie and Sawyer would have left while the humans were conveniently absent from the room. As Adrian stood, Colfax let him lead the way out of the room.

Adrian came back to the living room, easily shifting his face into an easygoing smile when he saw Charlie and Sawyer sitting on the shelf. "Hey, guys. Got my laundry put away and everything is in its place once more," he quipped with a quiet chuckle. "How are you feeling after all that fun?" He wasn't sure if his casual conversation was out of place. But, Adrian wasn't sure he'd be able to start the more serious matters with them.

While Adrian sat in front of the shelf, Colfax took the end of the couch with one arm propped up on the back. He lightly drummed his fingers and silently thanked the world for Adrian's ability to jump into a conversation so easily. With such a delicate conversation ahead of them, the last thing anyone needed was an awkward silence.

“A bit sore, but other than that pretty good,” Sawyer said with an easy laugh, stretching his shoulder exaggeratedly. Charlie said nothing, in his own turn grateful to have a more social friend to rely on. If it was left to him, the silence might have progressed awkwardly until he all but confessed what they had thought through. Sawyer was still going. “I’m bummed that I lost though. Charlie hadn’t even been practicing lately.” He grinned at that, but the look turned more serious in a few moments. Might as well get this over with- no use dragging out the small talk when they all knew something had to be said. “So, uh, as you guys probably guessed we’ve been talking things over.” He glanced at Charlie, who nodded at him. “We’ve come to a decision, and you both have the right to know.”

He looked over at Charlie, and his friend took a deep breath to ready himself. “We’re going to stay,” Charlie announced, his voice steady despite hands trembling slightly with lingering nerves. “We both wanted to, and so if you don’t mind, Adrian, we’ll keep living here. On the condition of course that if somebody else finds out about us, or another viri is somehow put in danger by us being here, we will leave.” He looked up at the two humans with an anxious expression, waiting for their reactions. “If… if that’s okay.”

Adrian's eyes widened a little and he froze in place. Blue eyes glanced at Colfax, but the taller human's face betrayed nothing. Adrian looked back at Charlie, and his surprise slowly shifted into a smile. "Of course that's okay, Charlie," Adrian answered quietly, almost sounding sheepish. "I mean, if you really want to be technical, you lived here first anyway..." He chuckled, and there was relief in the sound.  _ So we don’t have to do some big sad goodbye after all, _ he thought.

Things just kept getting better and better.

Colfax's relief finally dared show itself on his face when his mouth turned up in a faint smile. "It sounds like a sensible plan," he remarked. Ever the planner, Colfax couldn't help but think about how this way, they could live in comfort  _ and _ keep the humans in check. And, though he'd never admit it out loud, Colfax was glad to know that his friends wouldn't be disappearing to who-knows-where. He cleared his throat quietly. "Glad to hear it," he muttered.

Adrian laughed. "Jeez, rein it in a little, would you, Colfax? Your enthusiasm is a little overboard." In return, he got Colfax to roll his eyes and chuckle.

Sawyer laughed outright at that, and even Charlie couldn’t help but laugh a little as well, a small, relieved sound. Not that he had been expecting the two humans to react negatively to their decision, but still; every bit of positivity helped assure him that they had made the right choice in staying. It would seem that, despite everything, they had managed to find themselves in a good place after all. Amazingly, the four of them could be… happy together.

There was just one thing left to do before Charlie could consider his personal turmoil officially at an end. Turning to Sawyer he said quietly, “I still have to write to my parents. I think it would be better to do that sooner rather than later.” If he didn’t do it now, he might not have the courage to- not to mention it was the final hurdle before he could get back to normal life, whatever that was for them now.

Sawyer gave him a small smile and nodded definitively. “Sure thing, bud,” he said to Charlie. Turning to face Adrian he grinned and spoke in a louder voice, “Adrian, we’re going to need to use your computer.”

Adrian couldn't wipe the smile off his face. Sure, things were so incredibly different from how he'd expected his life to end up, but he couldn't have asked for a better turnout. He tilted his head upon hearing Sawyer's request, but nodded and stood anyway. "Sure thing, guys," he answered absently as he walked to his desk to retrieve the device.

As Adrian booted up the machine and set it on the floor next to the shelf, Colfax shifted where he sat. He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees and peering at the viri thoughtfully. "I can't help but wonder, Sawyer... how often have you used my computer without me knowing?" Knowing what he knew about them now, he had no doubts in his mind that Sawyer would have taken the opportunity whenever it came up.

Adrian smirked as he typed in the password and left the computer alone for the viri to operate. But, he couldn't resist such a golden opportunity, and looked at Colfax with a straight face. "Every time you dozed off, he added a random letter somewhere in your thesis." Colfax's arched eyebrow destroyed Adrian's straight face, and he laughed.

“Aw, now that’s a great idea!” Sawyer said, looking aghast at the missed opportunity. “Why didn’t I think of that?” Next to him Charlie was turning red from giggling, thinking that it was certainly something Sawyer would have done given the idea and the chance. “But to answer your question, Colfax, not all that often. Computers aren’t the easiest for viri to use.” He looked up at Colfax and gave him a Cheshire-cat grin. “Your phone is much more convenient.”

"It's for the best," Colfax answered, smirking at Sawyer's dramatic face. "I would have noticed right away," he challenged further. Though, with how closely he'd paid attention to his work all this time, it was a distinct probability. Colfax chuckled faintly at the thought. He wouldn't have suspected “tiny people” as the culprits, though the phenomenon would certainly have him endlessly curious.

As for his phone... he  _ knew _ it sometimes moved from where he left it. It had simply never been a mystery worthy of pursuit.

“Speaking of convenience,” said Charlie, looking up at Adrian hopefully. He was sitting cross-legged in front of the computer, Sawyer standing next to him. “Adrian, would you mind being our scribe? It will go so much faster if you’re typing rather than me.” If it were left up to Charlie to type, it would take them the rest of the day to get a paragraph in. There were many reasons why viri only dared to use technology at night when humans were asleep, but the sheer amount of time it took to work the devices was certainly one of them.

Adrian reached overhead and adjusted the laptop so he could see the screen better. "Sure thing." He was careful not to bump into either viri as he used the trackpad to open up the browser and quickly open up a new email message in Charlie’s account. His hands hovered over the keys, and Adrian realized that he was kind of leaning over the two of them. He smiled softly to notice that neither of them seemed unnerved by this. "Alright, I'm ready to type," he announced.

“Okay,” said Charlie, glancing up at Adrian. With faint surprise he realized that the human was all but looming over them, but he didn’t feel an ounce of fear at it. There was no reason to- he trusted Adrian wholeheartedly. He wasn’t going to be afraid of a good friend. Charlie then thought about explaining that to his parents and paled slightly, still unsure if this was a good idea or not. They might not understand… anything about it, really. He knew he probably wouldn’t if he hadn’t lived through the situation. “Um,” he mumbled, glancing over at Sawyer nervously. “How should I even start this?”

Sawyer sat down next to him, looking up at the blank message thoughtfully. After a bit of discussion together, Charlie managed to get most of an email written out, with Adrian typing whatever he called up to him. They used standard viri code, of course- even in email they were wary of somebody figuring out something they shouldn’t. Humans were referred to as “roommates”, and they were careful not to say anything that sounded too out of the ordinary as far as humans were concerned. Any viri reading it, however, would know exactly what Charlie was talking about. By the end they had a letter that explained to his parents how he had broken his leg and been helped by his “roommates”, and that now they were getting along pretty well- an innocuous message to an outsider, but Charlie knew it would create quite a stir in his family. “Alright,” he said with a sigh at the end of it, knowing that it was the best (and at this point, only) thing to do. “Send it off.”

Adrian typed the message out carefully, smiling softly as Charlie told him some of the code messages. He didn't really need to ask what anything meant, having been there for most of it. He was impressed with it all the same. It was simple, hardly encrypted in the usual sense. But, it seemed that hiding the message in plain sight would be the best way; anyone looking at the message would just think they were reading a mundane letter home.

"Done and done," Adrian muttered as he clicked on the SEND button. The screen flashed to a confirmation that the email was sent. Adrian leaned back again to give Charlie and Sawyer more space and to avoid inadvertently brushing them thanks to the close proximity. "Well, I feel kinda like a spy now," he quipped with a chuckle.

Colfax shook his head faintly, but there was a smirk on his face. "Now that you've told them, what next?" he asked Charlie, though the question could easily be directed at everyone in the room.

Charlie and Sawyer glanced at each other, and with a shrug Charlie said, “I don’t know. Go on with our lives, I guess.” He smiled up at them, thinking about how wonderful that sounded. Going on with their lives, together, with nothing holding them back from creating a new idea of normal. For the first time in a long time, he truly felt like he was home.

Adrian shrugged as well. "I don't know about you guys, but I feel like we should have some kind of fancy dinner tonight to celebrate. What say we head into the kitchen to decide what we'll have?"

Sawyer grinned and all but popped to his feet. He reached down a hand to help Charlie up, but his friend was already standing on his own. With a wide smile at him, which was quickly aimed at Adrian, he said, “Race you to the kitchen!” The two viri took off running towards the wall, laughing as they jostled each other to get to the door first. Charlie was beaming from ear to ear.

This was the best day of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all folks! :D The story is now complete! Everybody gets their happy ending. Thank you so much to everybody who read it. <3 We had an absolute blast writing it, if you enjoyed it even a fraction as much as we did then I'd call it a job well done.
> 
> We are already well at work with writing the next one, and I expect I'll start posting it sometime this week. So we can all look forward to that! :D

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of co-creation! Adrian, Colfax, Elle, and Felicia were written by PL1. Charlie and Sawyer were written by CreatorOfUniverses.
> 
> Just a reminder: you can still find all of the Trust stories, as well as the Reader's Guide, over on dA. There might be stories, and there will definitely be artwork, that won't make it over here to AO3. Be sure to check it out- and thanks for reading!


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